Show And Tell
by WolfPhantoms
Summary: Hidden secrets unfold, showing the doom that lays ahead for Avalanche, the world, and all in it. Through chaos and danger, friendships are formed, and Vincent must become a light for those who hold him dear and those that don't. VinTif
1. Denzel's Life

Denzel watched the seconds tick by lazily, propping his head against his sweaty palms. As his teacher lectured, his mind wandered back to Cloud Strife… a man who had disappeared and no one… not even Tifa could contact him. The blonde hadn't even made a point to get a new cell phone before he left.

The morning which became the start of Denzel's worst day started out like any other. Then, at breakfast, Cloud came downstairs and walked out; ignoring Tifa's pleads for him to stay. Then, the same day, Barret came to visit along with the girl named Yuffie and a man called Vincent Valentine. Marlene didn't even seem fazed by Cloud's departure, more interested in the lavish pile of gifts Barret had brought for his adopted little girl. To make matters worse, Tifa didn't mourn their loss with him, instead falling deep into a conversation with Vincent Valentine. Vincent Valentine, Denzel used the image as a mental punching bag. That man had no right to comfort Tifa.

As the days dragged on, Tifa continued to have friends over. Denzel didn't understand why and mostly stayed in his room when their guests were over, even if it was Barret. No one wanted him, besides Tifa, Denzel didn't have anybody to call his own. Marlene had Barret, Tifa was an adult and was known world wide as a hero, but he was by himself…

"Okay class, for tonight, I would like you to think about some ideas for your next project. You will be studying different cultures and, if possible, I would like you to become a pen pal or even visit the place you are studying. The point of this project is to see different lifestyles and compare them to your own." The bell rang long and shrilly, announcing that school was finally over. The teacher shouted some last few tips, but most of it was drowned in the sea of children all rushing for the door to get free of their four wall prison.

Denzel packed his backpack in a rush and met his friends at the door. His best friend, Karla, jumped up and down excitedly. "Oh, this project is going to be so cool! I can't wait to see yours Denzel. You should ask Tifa if you can visit Yuffie. She might be willing to help. You're lucky to be living with a hero who has so many connections."

Shifting his backpack on his shoulders, Denzel smiled. Karla could, and often would, talk about anything and everything… and wouldn't stop. It was something he liked, especially when she could cheer up his mood when he was feeling down. "So Denzel, are you busy tonight? I'm doing this sleepover thing since my parents are out of town, so it's me and good ol' Bren."

"Is Bren going to have his attitude?" Denzel tilted his head and waved to a tired Marlene up ahead.

"You know my brother. When he's in charge, everything goes his way. You know what, ask Tifa, maybe she and Marlene would like to come along. She might just put Bren in his place," Karla snickered.

"I'll ask her," Denzel nodded. Marlene was leaning against the bus stop sign when he reached her. She was clutching her stomach and rocking on her heels. Denzel put a firm hand on the girl's shoulder. She looked up at him, "I don't feel good."

Denzel swallowed and winced as Marlene groaned along with her stomach. "Marlene, we have to get home, can you still take the bus?" He asked hopefully. Marlene shook her head stubbornly and then suddenly doubled over, her stomach ridding itself of her lunch. The rest of the children waiting for the bus grossed out in their own ways and took a few steps back away from Marlene.

Marlene began to shake and salty tears ran down her rosy cheeks. Denzel yanked his backpack off his shoulders and pulled out the emergency cell phone Tifa had given him. Dialing as fast as his small fingers would let him; Denzel pressed the phone to his ear and tapped a foot impatiently as it rang. And rang. And rang.

"Seventh Heaven."

Nearly jumping with joy, Denzel clutched the phone tighter. "Tifa! Marlene's sick. She just threw up at the bus stop!" Maybe he sounded a little too cheerful…

"She did?" Tifa sighed. "I'm sorry honey; I won't be able to make it out there right now. Everyone is crammed in here like sardines. I'll get someone to pick you up. Just stay put and call if anything else happens. I gotta go." Denzel nodded though he was on the phone and hanged up.

"See ya later Denzel. Marlene, I hope you feel better," Karla waved and put on a smile before bounding down the block and disappearing out of sight. Just like Karla, the students left, many of them taking the bus Denzel and Marlene were supposed to. Just like in Denzel's mind, they were alone. Marlene stumbled over to a wooden bench for the customers of the bus and sat down with a whimper, still rocking.

"Don't worry Marlene. Tifa said she's going to get someone to get us," Denzel smiled. The more they waited at the bus stop, the more agitated Denzel became. Being left behind wasn't a grand feeling, and Denzel began to imagine that Tifa did this on purpose so she wouldn't have to spend time with them anymore.

"Are we having difficulties here?"

Denzel frowned and spun to the source of the voice. Directly in front of the lowering sun, Vincent Valentine stood with his arms crossed. His tattered cloak whipped around him in the wind and his raven hair obscured part of his crimson orbs from the world. As their eyes met, Vincent blinked impatiently.

Denzel bit his tongue and turned to Marlene who looked like she was going to lose some more food soon. Behind, Vincent closed the gap to the bench and stared emptily at the little girl.

"Tifa has requested me to escort you back to Seventh Heaven. I suggest we move onward," He continued, bending his head down until half of it was hidden behind the cowl of his cloak.

Denzel glowered at him, but nodded. Marlene could only groan in her place, too frightened to move. Vincent tilted his head and then after a brief few seconds, bent down and scooped Marlene into his arms. As Vincent straightened, he grunted and Denzel slipped on an innocent face, "Vinni, maybe you're getting too old for these things."

Vincent's eyes flashed, but kept his emotionless composure, "It is Vincent or Mr. Valentine. I do not accept anything else."

Denzel hoisted Marlene's nearly empty backpack onto his free shoulder and smirked at the older man's cloak as they started off. "You know, Cloud didn't mind how I used his name," Denzel pressed, picking up his pace to stay even with Vincent.

"I am not Cloud," Vincent said simply.

"Everyone should be like Cloud," Denzel snorted. This was how the relationship between them worked. Denzel would drive Vincent to the brink of rage, making the gunslinger storm out and leave. The man was in their life way too much nowadays.

"I believe the world would be boring if that occurred," Vincent replied.

Denzel pouted briefly at the comeback before starting up once more. "Tifa misses Cloud a lot and she always talks about him."

"The probable reason she continues to request for my visits." Vincent replied deeply. "Tifa is struggling with the lack of employment at Seventh Heaven along with Strife's Delivery Service. She has asked for help until she can get back onto her feet."

Quickening his stride, Denzel glanced to Marlene, hopeful that she would also rebel at these words. Instead, she was fast asleep, though her breathing was irregular and ragged.

"Denzel, please grab onto my belt. We must get moving at a faster pace than the current one."

"Like I'm going to touch you!" Denzel snapped before he even thought. He paled as he looked up at Vincent.

"Unless you wish to be left behind, I suggest you do as I say," Vincent growled, his patience wearing to a thin line.

Doing as he was told, Denzel slipped his fingers around the arm leather on Vincent's hip, trying to burn the man to a crisp with his eyes. Just as he blinked, their surroundings changed. Everything had put on a crimson tint, as if the gods had splashed blood over the world. Involuntarily, his knuckles went white in contrast to the black leather. "Don't let go," Vincent advised.

Biting down a shout, the world began to move though they continued to stand in one place. "What's happening?" Denzel asked, wide-eyed.

"This is how I travel so quickly." Vincent replied simply.

Denzel fought down frightened tears and shivered as a hesitant hand lowered onto his shoulder, gold fingers twitching against his clothes. Vincent shifted Marlene against him. His mind rebelled, but his heart quelled the rebellion. Tifa needed his help and Marlene was dangerously sick. Vincent knew that Denzel despised him, and readily agreed that he didn't have feelings for the boy either. But sacrifices must be made at strange times; Vincent only hoped that he had enough things to sacrifice.


	2. Crashin' the Party

Vincent never considered that Denzel would panic at the sudden exposure to his transportation as the intangible cloak he had saved Cloud with, but the boy did. Not only did he tremble, but he clung to Vincent as if the man was a lifeline. Gazing over the collar of his cloak, he took pity on the boy and hugged him closer with his gold claw. Denzel suddenly yanked away, looking up at Vincent with pure hatred.

As their world regained its color, Vincent let go of Denzel's small frame and walked briskly into the ever populated Seventh Heaven. Without glancing back, he knew Denzel hadn't followed. When Vincent had first visited Tifa, he knew that the boy was distressed and didn't want anything to do with anybody… hell, he could relate. Now, with his reoccurring visits to Seventh Heaven and with Cloud not on the horizon, tempers flared. Vincent never had a long fuse, and he never had any relationship with children.

At least Denzel had stopped his frantic pestering about Cloud. As if Vincent didn't have enough pressure already. That's all he seemed to hear about from Tifa as they sat together late into the night with a glass of wine. Marlene gurgled against him and Vincent tensed. The one thing he didn't want was Marlene to become sick on him. That simply didn't sit well as he moved through the crowds which slowly woke the poor girl in his arms.

"I don't feel good," Marlene moaned, blinking dark brown eyes up at him.

"You're bed should please you. Get some rest."

The girl nodded and snuggled deeper into the shoulder of his cloak before burping. Vincent grunted at the noise and traveled upstairs after looking around briefly for Tifa. "Which room is yours?" He asked as he walked through the second floor. Marlene pointed with her small hand to a door farther down the hall. Grunting once again, Vincent walked at a faster gait and pushed the door open with his free shoulder.

The room contained two beds and Vincent didn't have the patience to ask which one was Marlene's. Instead, he placed her carefully on the nearest one, pulling the covers from underneath her and placing them up to her neck. Marlene mumbled her small polite thank you before snuggling deeper into the covers. Vincent never believed he had soft feelings, especially since he thought Hojo had taken those along with everything else he had, but as Marlene curled up into the sheets, the little girl accidentally opened a long forgotten door in Vincent's heart.

Denzel broke the soft moment by opening the door forcefully and exchanging a 'oh shit you're here' look with Vincent. The boy shoved past Vincent and went to the farther bed; dumping both his and Marlene's backpack onto the springy mattress. "Thanks for the ride _Mr. Valentine_, have a nice night," Denzel said nonchalantly. Vincent cringed inwardly and swept his cloak from his side with the thrust of his arm and it snapped like canvas. Denzel blinked.

"I believe that would be against your best interest considering that Marlene is terribly sick," He gave a dry snort.

"And I can take care of her," Denzel replied readily, flopping down onto the bed with a sigh. "She's asleep anyway. What do you know? You were in a coffin when _Cloud_ found you."

"And I was in there for good reason. Cloud made an error when he woke me. He's made many mistakes over the years."

Vincent smirked at the look he received. Denzel sat up, "Cloud has never made any mistakes!"

Raising an eyebrow, Vincent regarded the boy. Oh, he was surely wasn't done with the boy yet. "So his departure isn't one of his mistakes?"

Denzel paled and his eyes lowered to the floor in defeat. Vincent tilted his head as he picked up light feet running up the stairs and heading their way. Smoothing his ruffled feathers, Vincent sighed and closed his eyes.

"Hey honey, how was school?" Tifa asked while poking her head in the door. Her eyes lowered to the lump in the bed. "Is she doing all right?"

"I believe she has a high fever," Vincent mumbled, his eyes shifting to Tifa.

Stray raven strands fell from behind her ear, and Tifa reached up to replace them. Burgundy eyes met his and only Vincent noticed the feelings coursing through them, like the Lifestream coursed through the planet. "Thanks Vincent. You can go if you want. If you don't you might end up doing some things for me," She warned tiredly, the ghost of a smile on her face.

Vincent frowned upon the blank smile. She never actually smiled anymore. It was completely rare, and laughter was even rarer. "I'll gladly be of assistance." Denzel snorted, but Vincent ignored him. "Is there anything I can possibly do?"

"Could you get some cold water and a cloth? I'm going to see if I can get this fever down," Tifa stepped inside and gingerly went for Marlene.

Giving a sharp nod, Vincent spun and walked briskly down the hallway. It took him a while, more than he would have liked to find the bathroom to fill a bowl whilst he contemplated his position now with Tifa. She was counting on him. But why him? Once the water was sloshing near the rim, he turned the water off and balanced the bowl like a waiter would a serving tray. His gold appendage flexed and took the nearest rag he could find before fluidly moving back into the bedroom.

As he entered, Tifa once again looked at him, her eyes widening as he simply placed the bowl down next to her, not spilling a drop. "Here," He spoke softly. Marlene twisted in the bed, her forehead beaded with diamonds. Tifa glanced back to the girl as legs pushed the already wet covers away.

Tifa reached over and pulled the covers back up, but Marlene went through the same routine, keeping her hot covers by her feet. The martial artist rubbed her palm against her cheek. "This fever isn't helping my day any," She sighed.

"Are you allowed to leave customers?" Vincent inquired, ringing out the cloth in his gold claw, making sure that all the access water was back in the bowl. Tifa watched his claw calmly, the cloth just a mere bundle under the pressure.

"I kicked everyone out and closed up. There's no point to have the bar open when I can't handle all the work." Tifa carefully took the cloth from the outstretched gold appendage and placed it on Marlene's burning forehead. The girl had gone from just sick, to worse in a matter of minutes. As Tifa tried one more time with the sheets, Marlene's eyes snapped open out of her comatose state and kicked the blanket's away. "No!" She shouted shrilly, glaring at Tifa.

Before a war broke out, Vincent sinuously unbuckled his cloak, working from the top, down. He pulled it off his shoulders and flapped the fabric over Marlene and let gravity settle it on top of the girl. Marlene seemed to sigh and fell back into a more calming sleep. Tifa looked up at him in question and he shrugged. "When you're warm, it cools you, when you're cold, it releases heat."

Tifa played with the fabric in her fingers before putting the already hot washcloth back into the bowl to re-cool it. "Thank you Vincent."

Vincent shrugged and glanced at Denzel. The boy was sitting on a large chair in the corner, eyeing all three of them with a higher air. "Tifa, Karla has invited me to a sleep over, can I go?"

"Will there be any adults?"

Vincent contained a smirk as the boy pretended to think it over. "Yes," he answered. Tifa gave a nod without looking at him.

"If there's an adult, you can go."

Denzel smiled. "Thanks Tifa! I'll begin packing. Oh, and I have a project I need to do. Do you think you can help me?"

"Maybe," Tifa sighed. Vincent raised an eyebrow, but kept quiet. It was none of his business.

"I have to research a different life style my teacher said. Can we call Yuffie?"

"Yuffie's off doing something or other. If you were hoping for Wuati, I don't think it's going to happen."

"Oh. Well, I'll just keep thinking about it."

Vincent guarded the bedroom door and stared off into his own world. Denzel was lying, why didn't Tifa see that? As the sun finally disappeared behind the horizon, Denzel finished packing and slung his pack over his shoulder. "I'll see ya tomorrow Tifa!" He said excitedly and left.

The boy shoved past Vincent and gave one last dirty glare before disappearing for the stairs. Tifa rubbed her face again and continued to comfort Marlene. "You should get some rest," Vincent snorted.

Tifa looked up and Vincent watched her expression change. Her eyes widened and she stared almost rudely at his face, her eyes trailing over his jaw. His lips formed a thin line and Tifa shook her head, blushing a little. "Sorry," She looked away.

Vincent grunted and tilted his head; Denzel would have a head start by now. "I apologize, but I have some business that must be dealt with. I shall return in about an hour."

"Be careful!" Tifa jumped to her feet.

Vincent turned and looked back at her and she turned to a deeper red. "It's just that… your business usually means shooting someone's head off. Be careful, alright?" He chuckled a little before walking out. It felt strange without the cloak on his face and he shuddered at the new feelings that the cloak had hidden him from.

Denzel jumped off Karla's bed and laughed as his friend danced to the wall pounding music. "This is so great! I'm glad I could come over!"

"So am I!" Karla replied.

The doorbell rang and she turned the music off. "It must be the pizza!" She said excitedly. Denzel nodded and rushed for the door, his sweaty hands sliding on the cold door handle. His smile disappeared once the door was open.

"I'm sorry, did I crash something?" Vincent asked, his voice, deep and mocking.


	3. Vacation Plans

**A/N: Thanks to all who reviewed. Warning: there is attempted suicide in this chapter... just to forewarn you. I know this chapter is dark, but ha! Just wait until Denzel and Vincent... oh, I'm going to stop talking.**

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"I hate you!" Denzel screamed, stomping over and slamming his heel on Vincent's foot, only to raise it up again and curse as he hobbled around. Vincent smirked and hefted Denzel's pack onto his shoulder, bouncing a little to adjust the weight on his back. Picking up the pace, Vincent fell into step with the boy.

"Good, now I believe we're on the same page," Vincent grunted in reply, his lip forming a straight line in determination to get the last say.

"I'll probably never see Karla again. You ruined everything! You've been ruining everything since you came here," Denzel snapped.

"You shouldn't jeopardize your relationship with Tifa and Marlene. They are the only people in this world that will look out for you," Vincent continued in monotone, though inside, Chaos shifted.

"I have Cloud!"

A metal arm reached out and gripped Denzel's wrist in a warning, spinning him around to face the gunslinger. Vincent bent down to eye level, his crimson orbs burning embers. "Cloud has left, and he'll most likely stay gone."

"I can do what I want! Get the hell off me!"

Vincent didn't let go, and tightened his hold as the boy struggled, writhing like a freshly caught fish. "Go back to your coffin and die in it!" Denzel screamed, finally yanking free and continuing onward.

The gunslinger swallowed down his rage. He would never attack Denzel, but if the boy continued to press the right buttons, Vincent might need to attack _something_. Sighing in distress, Vincent slowly followed, keeping the appropriate distance between them so another spurt could be avoided. Denzel, however, didn't see that to be right. The boy soon slowed, allowing Vincent to close the gap. As he neared, Vincent could see the hatred in the boy's face… this wasn't going to be good…

"Have you ever thought about death Mr. Valentine?"

Raising an eyebrow, Vincent grunted. "I have, why do you ask such a question?"

"Just wondering," Denzel shrugged and calmly walked with Vincent the rest of the way back to Seventh Heaven. Neither of them spoke as Vincent opened the door, being shoved off to the side by the boy. Tifa was sitting at one of the empty booths, her fingers delicately running over the rim of a filled wine glass with the black sleeves of her turtleneck halfway up her palms. Her head shot up at their entrance, frowning as Denzel stormed off to his own room.

"Denzel? Are you alright?"

"Talk to Vampire!" Came the reply from the top of the steps. Tifa's gaze shifted to Vincent, expecting an answer.

Vincent sighed heavily and approached the chairs on the other side of the booth. Dumping his over burdened body onto one of them, he grunted, Denzel's pack falling to the floor with a thump. Tifa leaned in close; he could feel her eyes trailing over him as she did. "Care to explain or should I go see what trouble you've caused with Denzel? Either way I'm probably going to get an earful."

A smirk washed over his features and amusement sparkled lightly in his crimson eyes. He turned toward her, shivering as she once again stared at his visible jaw and neck. "I will explain for my actions, but Denzel must explain for his."

She tilted her head, "I'm listening, care for some?" Tifa raised the wine glass. Vincent nodded and she left to go pour him a glass. While she was away, Vincent's eyes wandered to the steps, feeling an odd sense of danger, yet familiarity. He was used to the strange sensations that ran through his body, a body that was shared by demons; specifically Chaos. They almost felt as though they were part of him now, the practiced skill of recognizing the different changes in environment or atmosphere an old habit.

"Tifa," Vincent warned, his senses strained. He jumped to his feet, a calm hand against Cerberus, slender fingers curving around the metal. His body tensed as the strange feelings went from bad to worse in a matter of seconds. Tifa rushed to his side, her gaze lowering to the hand hovering over Cerberus, her own body preparing for a surprise battle. Vincent groaned as he realized where the disturbing feelings were coming from. His metal boots clicked against the old wood as he took steps two at a time. Tifa, crying out his name, rushed after him, her feet quicker than his own. Vincent wasn't meant to move fast, he was meant to move with purpose. She beat him up the steps, though she didn't need to follow him; she followed her worry. Bending to the side, she let her shoulder get the brunt of the force as she slammed her body weight against the children's door. Vincent, hot on her heels, pushed past her when she stopped after breaking the door off its rusty hinges.

Denzel was standing by the window, a small pocket knife beginning to draw blood on his wrist. The boy's eyes widened, causing bigger tears to run down his tear stained face. "Get away from me!" He shouted, the pocket knife being pressed down against his flesh.

Tifa was speechless and bent low, her arms out towards Denzel, beckoning him to come into her waiting embrace. Vincent, however, wasn't frozen on the spot. To get to Denzel as quickly as possible, Vincent jumped, the demons' powers seeming to keep him in a hovering flight before barreling into Denzel.

Vincent grabbed Denzel's wrist with his claw, suddenly hearing metal crashing with metal, causing shivers to run up his spine. Ignoring what could have possibly caused the noise, Vincent pushed Denzel's back against him and used his hands to hold the boy's apart. With a twist of a wrist, Vincent yanked at Denzel's hand, causing the boy to cry out and drop the knife. It clinked to the floor and Vincent slowly evaded it as though it was deadly alone, keeping Denzel's hands from moving. His human hand could feel hot blood rushing from the gash on Denzel's wrist and he slowly tightened his grip to slow the bleeding.

Tifa finally managed to break from her daze and she rushed forward, kneeling in front of them. Denzel fought in Vincent's grasp, his back banging into the gunslinger's chest. To keep the boy from hurting him, Vincent curled over, raven locks spilling into Denzel's face.

"I hate Cloud, I hate him!" He screamed. Off to the side, Vincent heard muffled whimpers coming from underneath his red cloak.

As Denzel exhausted, Vincent slowly let go, verifying there would be no more fighting with a gentle squeeze on the boy's shoulder. Breathing hard, Vincent left Denzel to Tifa and gingerly stepped to Marlene's bed, still hearing the horrified sounds coming from underneath his cloak.

Nearing the bed, a small body leaped out and clung to him, the little girl crying heavily out of fear. Startled at this sudden 'clingy' attitude, Vincent managed to sit down on her bed before she clamored all over him. He wasn't one for comforting and the unconscious kneading of her fingers with his shirt felt foreign, but carefully, his human hand reached up to caress Marlene's head. Only then did he notice what had caused the strange sounds as he fought Denzel. The pocket knife had managed to sneak through the crevices between the gold plates of his metal hand, ruining the gears inside. Parts of the internal machinery hanged out from the small pockets and unlike most of the time, his gold arm felt like what it was, a metal appendage. It had no connection with the rest of his body; the machinery that usually read his nerve signals destroyed. Vincent sighed, this boy was worse off than he had assumed.

"Vincent, get Marlene out of here while I calm Denzel down. It's time to put a stop to all of this," Tifa said boldly, ushering Denzel to his bed with a calm hand on his shoulder. Vincent nodded and used his arm as a somewhat seat for Marlene since his claw was rendered useless. She continued her muffled whimpering all the way downstairs with her face buried into his raven strands.

Carefully, Vincent settled down in the booth Tifa had left, his back leaning against the red cushions. "Why did Cloud have to go away again?" Marlene whispered. Sighing again, Vincent grunted, keeping his usual attitude of silence.

After a while, the sobbing ceased, and Marlene's breathing slowed down. Vincent glanced down at her, and smiled softly at the sleeping child. _I'm growing soft,_ Vincent mused, and gave a shudder as Chaos growled at the thought.

The creaking of exhausted wood caused Vincent's head to jerk and he followed Tifa's movements down the remaining stairs. Upon seeing them, her usual tired smile appeared, though she gave Vincent an amused look. "Never thought I'd see a kid fall asleep in Vincent Valentine's arms," She chuckled, finishing up the gap between them.

"Hm, arm to be exact," Vincent corrected gently, raising his left arm for her to see. Her face fell and she leaned over the table to get a better look at the destruction.

"Can it be fixed?" She asked, slender fingers moving the limp gold ones.

"It can be mended, but it will take some time. How is Denzel?"

"The cut wasn't deep, thank the Planet, but I'm just worried that he'll try again and no one will be able to stop him. Here, I'll take her back to bed. Thank you Vincent," Tifa opened her arms and Vincent gladly passed on the girl. Once Tifa had Marlene securely in her arms, Vincent leaned farther into the red leather cushions, cradling his metal arm lightly. Tifa briefly looked away from him, her cheeks flushed and her movements erratic. "I'm really sorry Vincent… for everything." With that, she left the awkward silence and made her way back upstairs.

"Don't be," Vincent whispered, bending his head down to gaze at the damage, eyes darkening as he saw the whole arm as damage. Flashes of underground laboratories and Hojo's ugly face surfaced and Vincent cringed silently, his arm suddenly poison. With a growl, he tossed his gold arm down onto the table in front of him and it clanked in protest.

"Vincent?"

Frowning, Vincent looked back to the stairs once again and noticed Denzel hugging the railing near the last step. White bandages were wrapped around his fresh cut and his pajamas clung to his sweaty body. Though he stood firm, his eyes trembled, showing the fear of receiving reprimand for all the trouble.

"You all right?" The gunslinger inquired nonchalantly.

"Tifa said I need to say sorry," Denzel continued, his eyes studying the floor as though he would become part of it any moment.

"There is that word again," Vincent said dryly.

"But, I've been really mean lately."

"It is understandable."

Denzel hopped down from the steps and walked over, Vincent noticing an interest gleam in his eyes at what lay on the table. "Did I break it?"

Vincent followed his gaze, "It can be repaired."

"How did it hap-."

Waving him off, Vincent stood. "Go get some rest," He advised while heading for the door. "And remember Denzel, you do have a family and people who care. Don't hurt them like you did tonight," The door was pulled back and a blast of night air rushed inside.

"Oh, Mr. Valentine, here." Denzel tossed him a bundle of red. "Tifa says thank you."

Gazing at the fabric, Vincent twirled it around him until it once again rested on his back. With mild interest, Vincent buckled up the cowl of his cloak and looked over it, sighing at the familiarity.

"Vincent!" Tifa shouted and she nearly tumbled down the stairs to reach him. Denzel, feeling the tired need for bed, left them and stumbled back up the steps.

"Thank you so much, I- what would I do with out you?" She laughed nervously. Her eyes lowered once again and the redness returned to her cheeks.

"You desire something?" Vincent asked, feeling his own heart pounding harder in his chest. _But what?_

"Actually- I do. I think it would be best for the children if we sort of went for a vacation."

"You wish for me to continue Seventh Heaven while you're away," Vincent concluded, only to receive a light smile and a shake of her head.

"No, no, I was wondering if we could come and visit you. Just for a week or so. That way the children can get out of routine and maybe experience different things."

"Yuffie can't assist you in this department?"

"Oh, well, I-." Tifa's face fell. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have asked you like this, but everything has been so sudden and-."

"Tifa, I do suggest a different vacation point for you and the children."

"I gotcha. Thanks though Vincent," Tifa swallowed and her body began to shake a little more visibly. Vincent put a worried hand on her shoulder, his eyes searching hers. "I'm sorry-." She began, but then the tears began to make their escape down to the old wooden planks.

"This isn't a vacation for the children, it's for you," Vincent slowly clarified, eyes widening at the distress she was in.

"I can't take it anymore! I'm all burnt up," Tifa slowly raised the sleeves of her long black turtle neck, showing the scabbed wounds along her own wrists. Frightened, Vincent grasped one of them and stared at her.

"When?" He demanded.

"A few days ago; was afraid to cut deeper I guess."

"Tifa," Vincent groaned. Shaking his head he recomposed himself, "When will I see you at my doorstep?"

Tifa looked at him in surprise, the tears almost gone. "But you said-."

"Tomorrow it will be then. I shall stay and help you pack, but to forewarn you, my abode is not as welcoming as you might expect," Vincent interrupted. He swallowed as Tifa's arms slid around his waist and her body pressed against his.

"Thanks, for everything."

Unsure of this new human contact, Vincent shifted nervously and heard Tifa laugh… laugh against him. Her arms tightened, nearly squeezing the life from his frame. "Thanks Vincent…"


	4. Never Alone

**Haha! I managed a somewhat quick update. I find this chapter to be somewhat cute, don't worry, we'll get some action in here at some point. This story is really slow in getting started. Please Review like always!**

Vincent leaned against the back of the chair; his gaze transfixed on Tifa's sleeping form. He didn't want her to hurt any longer, but how could he help her when he could barely help himself? The bed seemed so far away, yet she stood out clearly against the white sheets; her breathing slow and deep as she continued to dream, in what, Vincent hoped was a better world than the one she was currently in. They had packed for tomorrow, Tifa continuously asking if he was alright. In truth he wasn't, inside, Chaos desired to rip free and feed off Cloud's rotting body… wherever the blonde was.

A gold plate on the side table shined in the dim light causing a yellow glow to dance across the ceiling. Vincent's metal arm rested on his leg, the wires usually underneath all the gold protection now exposed for repair. Odd ends were laid almost neatly over the metal tubes which served as tendons as he worked farther into the arm. Tifa yawned in bed and Vincent jumped, causing him to grit his teeth as his fingers were jammed briefly inside the metal appendage.

"You're still awake?" She sounded amused, but her face hid all expression.

"You must know by now that I rarely close my eyes," Vincent snorted, and continued to work on the wires in front of him.

The bed groaned as Tifa's weight was removed and through the corner of his eye, Vincent watched her approach, her hands absentmindedly rubbing her upper arms, often times picking lint off the black fabric. "Can I help?"

Vincent sighed, "If I required your help, I would have asked for it."

She laughed lightly before bending at one side of the chair, close to his exposed arm. "No you wouldn't have. You're one of the most stubborn men I've ever met."

"Are you comparing me to Cloud?" Vincent snorted bitterly, forcing his eyes away from hers to focus on something less seducing; the floor perhaps.

She grunted in accusation. "If you mention Cloud in this house once again Vincent Valentine, I will personally see that Chaos will be running back to where he came from like a hungry puppy."

"There is the Tifa I remember. At least, as I run, I will know that the normal Tifa has returned to Seventh Heaven," Vincent supplied, the small smile on his lips hidden from the world behind red fabric. Slender fingers calmly pushed his away and her face went inches from her work.

"I'm guessing the same colored wires go together? Here, you can't do all this with one arm." She pulled his metal arm closer and began the small task of replacing all that had been destroyed. Vincent watched her work with slight amusement, but frowned as her fingers began to run across the smooth metal, caressing it.

Chaos growled a soft reminder and Vincent jerked his head away, focusing on the wires she continued to stuff inside the nearly working 'tendons'. "Okay, try that. If it doesn't work, we'll try something else."

The claw twitched in response to his body and then the gold fingers closed into a tight fist. He continued to flex the claw while Tifa managed to notice the gold plates and carefully return them to their rightful places. Afterwards, she leaned back onto the palms of her hands to admire her handiwork. "Well, good as new."

Breaking from his daze, Vincent frowned upon her. "I suggest some rest. You'll need your strength; we still have arrangements of your arrival to the manor. I might need some assistance with the redecorating."

"Fine with me, I love decorating," Tifa gave him a humored wink.

"Good, then may I suggest completely redecorating the room you shall have at the manor. It may please you to have it the way you wish. Just tell me the colors of paint," Vincent shrugged a little, feeling his stomach drop. _This is way more than I asked for._ He thought grimly while Tifa purposefully thought his offer over.

"You're seriously giving me a room at the manor? Vincent, it is just vacation."

"Yes, but it will continue to be there whenever you request it. Anytime you feel the need to leave, the manor is always open for you. I'll personally see to it that you shall get a key, though I usually take the other way in."

She eyed in slowly. "What other way in?"

Maybe he said a little too much… Vincent waved the question away and nodded to the bed. Tifa followed his gaze and sighed while rubbing her face. "Alright, alright, I'll go back to bed. There's the guest room off to the left Vincent, unless you want to stay in that chair all night."

"It's rather comfortable," Vincent taunted, earning a glare.

"Well then stay, I don't care. Just don't complain to me when you wake up and it feels like you have a pole up your butt," She laughed.

To prove his point, Vincent folded his arms stubbornly and leaned farther into the cushions behind him. In truth, he didn't want to leave. If Tifa dared to hurt herself while she was alone, well, Vincent didn't know how he would be able to handle it.

It didn't take long for her to doze off and Vincent found it extremely hard to leave. Shifting a little, he unbuckled his cloak and let it hang over his shoulders. The bedroom door creaked open and Marlene hesitantly stepped inside, her feet light on the floor. The focus had been Tifa until brown eyes adjusted to the little light in the room.

"Mr. Valentine?" His name hovered in the air, and Marlene hugged a tattered piece of cloth to her chest, her chin coming to rest on top of it. Vincent raised an eyebrow and walked over to her. Her nightgown forced her bare arms and legs to seem strangely bright even in the dim room and she shuffled nervously in place. "I had- had a bad dream," she continued with her eyes looking at everything.

Stopping in mid-step, Vincent blinked. How was he supposed to react to that statement? To his surprise, Marlene acted on her own, but in a way that Vincent was unsure that he wanted. She quietly rushed to his side and hugging the upper portion of his leg. Frozen, Vincent continued to stare out with his eyes wide.

"I don't want the bad dream to come back… can I stay with you?" She asked, her lower lip quivering in a childish pout.

"If it must be required of me," Vincent sighed, he was growing way too soft nowadays. Marlene giggled sheepishly and hung onto his metal hand, pulling on it a little to get him to move. Following this simple pull, Vincent followed her to the chair where he was ordered to sit down and calmly watch as she scrambled into his lap with this precious piece of fabric.

She shoved the cloth in front of his face and began to play with one of the torn edges. "See? Daddy gave it to me… it's just like your red blankie, all broken." She moved and began to play with one of the torn edges of his red cloak. Smiling gently, Vincent felt his usual empty heart fill as he watched her, his arms wrapping around her protectively while she snuggled in deeper. She sighed with content and slowly, just as Tifa did, she fell asleep; the blankie bunched up underneath her arms. Careful not to wake her, Vincent pulled the cloak from under them and used it as Marlene had said, a blanket. Reaching over with his claw, Vincent turned the light off and also began to fall asleep, but it seemed that the Planet was out against him.

The door opened once more and this time, Denzel stepped inside, pausing at the door to let his eyes adjust to the darkness of the room. Vincent watched with slight amusement as Denzel continued inside after examining his surroundings, but instead of heading for Tifa's bed, the boy came over to him. Holding perfectly still, Vincent watched as Denzel climbed onto the vacant left knee after moving the cloak from the spot he wanted.

"Bad dream?" Vincent asked and Denzel sprang back a step.

"No, I- it's just…" Denzel sighed and scratched his head. "I don't like to be alone and I heard Marlene leave so I wanted to go too." He began to back away, almost embarrassed that he had been caught red handed in trying to get into the 'enemy's lap.

"Unless you plan on sleeping on the floor…" Vincent opened his arm in welcome and Denzel didn't hesitate in climbing up onto Vincent as well. Wrapping his gold arm around Denzel, Vincent shifted and finally began to doze off, but not before Denzel pulled the red cloak back over until all three were submerged in crimson red protection. Though Vincent began to doze, continuously keeping on ear open for any intruders, he sensed Chaos come closer to his consciousness to help keep watch, the demon having the sudden urge to protect at all costs…


	5. Chaos Eats Souls!

Vincent jolted in his sleep, his limbs twitching in a dream that, as he woke, he knew that not even the slightest detail would be remembered. As his crimson orbs met light once again, he stiffly adjusted his carcass on the chair, blinking in his surroundings.

His arms groped forward before reality hit him; the children were already gone. The absence of their small bodies against him forced tension to run through his body. Jumping to his feet, he faltered as the blood rushed to his skull, causing darkness to fade into his vision briefly before giving back the familiar colored world.

Gripping his cloak in one hand, he rushed out of the room and jumped the entire staircase; making the perfect landing at the base of the steps. The entire bar was empty, the chairs still upside down on the tables in an unwelcoming manner. With a frown, Vincent wandered to the back of the bar in hopes that at least Tifa would be there, but it seemed that no one was home.

As he began to wander back to the front of the bar, a white piece of paper on the countertop stood out in the corner of his eye. His fingers snared the paper and he scanned the words, fearful that something terrible happened to them.

'Morning sleepy head! The kids and I went to go get some final things before we leave today. We didn't want to wake you. We'll be back later.

Tifa'

Before he knew it, he was sighing heavily in relief and searching for a pen. Upon finding one, he turned the paper over and scribbled his reply and then swiftly whipped his cloak around him before striding for the door. Taking one more glance around, he opened the door and left.

Once out in the hustle and bustle of the sidewalks, Vincent felt a tremble course through him. If only he could feel more human than demon, then he wouldn't be so out of place. Why oh why did Cloud wake him? Everyone around him separated themselves from him by a few feet, giving a worried glance his way. In a strange sense, Vincent was pleased that fear ran through their veins whenever he approached, though a certain few would smile or even give a brief bow in recognition as one of the heroes that saved the planet.

As he came to the outskirts of Edge, a merchant was shouting out incoherent words to the passersby. Vincent, being one of the unlucky ones close by, winced as he earned quite an earful from the desperate merchant. Struggling to contain his frustration, Vincent respectfully looked at the man's wares and was about to walk away, but something caught his eye.

After paying for his two parcels, Vincent finished leaving Edge and looked back at the busy streets. Breathing in the dusty air, his gaze turned toward the high sun before letting his world turn red. If anyone looked out towards the horizon, they might have caught a glimpse of an intangible cloak racing onward.

* * *

Tifa watched with slight amusement as Marlene skipped ahead of her, all of them were weighed with both groceries and other items they had found along the way. "This is going to be so much fun!" Marlene giggled and hefted her package higher in her arms.

"If you like scary monsters, dark tunnels and evil demons running about," Denzel grumbled.

_If only they knew what Vincent could do_, Tifa sighed as she stared at the boy. Marlene managed to spin in place, her head peaking over the paper bag, "That's not funny Denzel!"

"Do I look funny?" Denzel snorted moodily. Tifa nudged his shoulder and he scowled up at her.

"This is going to be good for all of us. Don't be so angry Denzel. I saw you with Vincent this morning. You can't hate him that bad," She smiled fondly.

"I just took what he gave me. It doesn't mean that I like him," Denzel replied.

"Come on you two, let's get this all in the car and get on over there. I hope Vincent got my note…" Tifa's mind wandered. Was it right to just leave Vincent like that? It certainly wasn't very 'host' like, but then, Vincent usually was more of the 'host' even in the bar.

"If I see a monster, I will come home," Denzel threatened.

"Denzel, I'm not going to argue with you today. I plan on enjoying myself so please, just… be quiet for a while so I can think," Tifa blinked a couple of times and headed around the back of the bar to the car. Marlene giggled and took off again, her feet trying to lift higher with the extra load.

"Come on! I wanna go visit Mr. Pointy-Shoes!" The girl cried, bouncing up and down, but mindful of the jostling items in the bag.

Tifa raised an eyebrow and stifled some laughter with a snort. "Pointy-Shoes? Now when did you think that name up?"

Denzel huffed loudly. "She was torn between Mr. Love and Mr. Pointy-Shoes. I helped her pick."

_Thank the Lifestream that they picked option number two. Still, Vincent's going to eat a canary. _Tifa shook her head and unlocked the car to finish stuffing the car. Marlene would be wedged between a suitcase and some extra hardware supplies in the back, but the trip wouldn't take too long.

After packing everything, including the children, Tifa ran back inside to see if Vincent was still around. Instead, she found her room empty, the leather on the chair cool. She wandered back downstairs and noticed her note with a pen to hold the paper down.

Curious, she approached it and leaned over the counter, reading quickly,

'Thank you for your hospitality. I shall be expecting your arrival to the manor, but first I must take care of the- trouble, that might be wandering on the mansion grounds. It should be taken care of before you arrive, but I thought you should be warned. Keep the children safe,'

VV.'

"Can he get any more formal?" Tifa sighed with a smile and tucked the note in her skirt pocket. After putting a note on the front door for usual costumers, she verified that all doors were locked and headed back for the car.

"What did you do?" Denzel demanded. She frowned and glared at the boy, silencing him with her gaze.

"Denzel, we need to discuss your manners."

"There's nothing to discuss," Denzel replied.

"Oh, yes there is. Don't you dare talk to me with that tone! If you do one more time, I'll let you meet…" Tifa hesitated through her ranting, trying to think of something that would shut him up for a while. "Chaos! I'll let him rip your limps off."

Denzel stared at her and then gazed out at the now moving scenery. "There's no such thing as 'Chaos'. If you're trying to scare me Tifa, it's not happening."

"Denzel, I'm done with your attitude. If you don't gain some manners real soon, I'm going to drop you off at school. I told them you wouldn't be there for a whole week, but I think they can make some accommodations for you. One more crud remark and you'll be walking back to school, you hear me?"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Denzel mumbled while twirling a hand in the air.

Tifa shook her head and concentrated on the road. Glancing through the rearview mirror she noticed Marlene, clinging to her blankie that she must have dug around for. Her eyes trembled a little as she focused on the back of Tifa's head.

"What's Chaos?" she asked, her voice muffled as she buried her face into the soft fabric.

Tifa opened her mouth to reply, but stopped when Denzel turned in his seat to stare at Marlene. "Chaos is the monster that lives under your bed and eats your guts when you're asleep."

"Denzel," Tifa warned, giving a brief glance before watching all the drivers ahead of her. In the back, Marlene whimpered, eyes growing two sizes as Denzel gave a serious nod to further affect his tale.

"He regurgitates them in the morning so all you are is a pile of mush inside. But he keeps… YOUR SOUL!" Denzel shouted; his fingers in crooked claws while lunging for Marlene until his seatbelt halted his movements. The girl screamed and cowered in her seat, whimpering fitfully.

"DENZEL!" Tifa growled, slamming her hand down on the steering wheel to gain his attention. "Sit down now and don't you dare speak for the rest of the ride. You hear me? No more talking!" After carefully verifying that Denzel wasn't going to make a peep, Tifa glanced back into her mirror at Marlene. "That's not true honey. Denzel's just a little moody," She said calmly.

"I'm scared," Marlene cried, wet eyes threatening to spill their tears.

"It'll be okay," Tifa soothed, giving the road her entire attention before the day got any worse.

* * *

Vincent stormed through the manor's hallways, shooting anything that moved and even… things that froze in fear at the sight of him. He felt a little distraught that he had lied to Tifa, but he didn't want her to worry anymore. It had been a while since he actually lived at the manor and the infestation of vermin had grown at an intoxicating rate. Monsters had begun to call the mansion home, meaning that Vincent would have a lot of work to get through in a few hours… but Cerberus was doing a lovely job with blowing the brains out of the creatures. He even gave Chaos a little stretch when one of the larger masses of monsters decided to gang up on the gunslinger. The demon readily jumped into the fray, turning Cerberus into Death Penalty and well… kicking ass.

Taking a deep breath, Chaos plunged downward and smirking at the cold air blasting his face before once again spreading his wings to catch the wind just as the ground almost made him a demon pancake. The rest of the weaker creatures quickly ran off the property, either too proud or too frightened to take the demon on. Chaos could have cared less, Tifa would be arriving soon and there was quite a lot of work that still needed to be done, though it was things that he would gladly not do.

Landing with a few heavy beats of his wings, Chaos landed and strode inside, gazing at the dust covered white sheets that hung over the furniture. Sighing, he stretched his thin ruby skin until it was taught between the black wing webs. With a few strokes, the air swirled over the white cloth, pushing it aside to reveal hidden treasures underneath. The air became thick with gray particles that slowly drifted outside through open windows and doors. Rays of yellow gold drifted through these windows and strayed over the old mahogany and elegant fabrics of the manor.

Once the dust had been removed, Chaos knelt and snatched a white lump of cloth from the floor and examined it before bursting it into a fiery ball of black flame, watching as it disappeared into nothingness. Pleased with this outcome, Chaos continued to burn all remains of the white sheets before the grand room was as amazing as it hand been in its day, though the walls truly needed a coat of fresh paint. The mold that had been allowed to grow seemed to have taken a growth spurt and now nearly covered the cream colored walls, making it a horrid swamp color. Well, that would have to wait for later. Tifa had agreed to help decorate since he wasn't fond of any of that nonsense. In truth, he could live in a cave, well, the demon part of him could.

Glancing up the main staircase from the grand room, Chaos groaned; he would have to wait until they arrived so they could pick out their rooms. That would mean he would have to wait with that piece of work. Shaking his head, he wandered into the dining room and continued with the same procedure as the grand room until it was as though he used it everyday. Wincing a little, he even put a bouquet of roses from the near garden in the center in hopes of livening up the room.

The kitchen was a different matter; everything was wiped down with a wet rag until the sunlight sparkled across the silver metal. Satisfied with that, he stocked the fridge and cabinets before releasing himself from the cocoon of Chaos' form, though he readily knew that he would be drained and woozy on his feet. As the wings once again returned to his cloak and his body felt like his own, Vincent knelt, gasping in pure exhaustion. It had been needed of him, and the price of weakness had to be paid. At least the demon had served some good, even if it just was rodent control and some dusting.

His stomach dropped as he heard a honk out at the gate. Groaning, Vincent struggled to regain his composure, though he continued to feel tipsy. Outside, he could hear the children speaking to Tifa and he swallowed, _They're here!

* * *

_

**A/N: Oh boy! There at the mansion! Ahhh! Sorry to anyone who didn't like this chapter, couldn't help it when the sudden image of Chaos dusting popped into my head. Well, how else could he have cleaned so quickly? lol. Please review cause I eat reviews for breakfast! And thanks to all who have reviewed, I couldn't have done it without you!**


	6. A Favor

**A/N: Short chapter and was very hard to write. I would like to note that throughout this story, Vincent's Chaos form is the one from Dirge of Cerberus. It's just better looking. The next chapter is on it's way and you will like it :) . This one might be a little boring, but important, so no skipping for the next chapter! Please Review and enjoy!**

* * *

Vincent staggered for the door, blinking back exhaustion. He couldn't rest now, especially when he had so much more work to do. Tifa beat him to it and opened the door for herself, her eyes wandering over the furniture with surprise.

"Wow, you clean up quickly," She commented, before frowning at him. Vincent straightened from his hunched position and nodded in agreement. Denzel and Marlene assessed the room with childish expressions before bounding up the steps.

"You must choose your rooms and inform me afterwards. Do not unpack. I have some more work to do. These rooms haven't been used in quite a while and the dust accumulates rather quickly," Vincent rumbled. Marlene smiled and dragged Denzel out of sight.

Tifa turned to face him, her own eyes assessing his exhaustion. "What did you do?"

He shrugged, returning her annoyed gaze with his own, "I had some cleaning to do."

She wrinkled her nose at him. "Yeah sure, and it required one of your famous demons to do it," She said sarcastically.

"Tifa, I must be honest," Vincent tucked his chin by the base of his neck. "I lied to you. I haven't been at the manor in quite some time and the duties that had been left have… well, have built up."

"I want you to sit down right now before you pass out at my feet Vincent Valentine!" Tifa pointed to the couch and gave him a defiant glare. "The packing can come later and so can the cleaning of the rooms. I'm here so it won't be such a burden."

Vincent twitched and hesitantly obeyed her orders, plopping his deadweight onto the plush cushions. Tifa joined him, tucking her legs underneath her. "I actually have a favor to ask you, but hear me out before you say anything."

Raising an eyebrow, he grunted and Tifa slowly began. "I need you to become Chaos." Vincent's head yanked to the side, his eyes wide. "Denzel- needs to have a conversation with Chaos. I don't know what else to do. I didn't mean to threaten him with Chaos, but even with that, he didn't listen to me. Apparently he doesn't believe in Chaos. I just- I'm done Vincent. He might need to go to a different family if he keeps this up, I don't know what else to do. Denzel said Chaos was a monster living under Marlene's bed eating her soul or something-," She laughed dryly.

Vincent's chest vibrated with a rumble as Tifa's eyes rose to meet his. "Tifa, these are all lies. I would never allow such a thing even if it were possible. With the Protomateria, I can control him."

"Please Vincent; use Chaos to talk to him, maybe that will work. Just don't give him a heart attack," Tifa begged, her fingers battling with each other on her lap.

To her surprise, Vincent unbuckled his cloak and brushed the edges away from his face, giving her a full view of his hidden lips and jaw. "When do you suggest I perform?" His pale lips formed a straight line, crimson eyes darkening with a sigh.

"You-you're willing to do this for me?"

"Tifa, I am willing to do anything for you," he stated and Tifa felt her body tense. Vincent blinked and shook his head, as if trying to rid himself of a thought. His claw clenched into a fist and his eyes began to search frantically for something on the floor. "Please… excuse me. Go choose a room for yourself, but be careful, the rooms are not yet to their full glory."

She suddenly had the urge to move and jumped to her feet as Vincent also stood. He stared at her warily, his jaw clenching as Tifa's gaze battled fiercely with his. "Thank you Vincent," She whispered before walking away, her cheeks burning furiously.

Tilting his head, Vincent followed close behind with his bangs brushing over his face to hide him from the rest of the world. "Tifa, do not come to Denzel's room if you hear something. I'll become Chaos; I just hope that your idea will go as cleanly as you wish it to be."

Tifa laughed dryly, "Look, you sound like a servant or something. Stop it."

"If you wish," Vincent chuckled, dodging a playful punch aimed at his shoulder.

"Vincent!"

"Pick a room Tifa so I may place you in it once I release my own punch."

"Ha, ha, very funny Mr. Valentine; keep this up and you'll regret it."

"Is that a threat?" Vincent taunted; his voice for once full of playful feeling.

Tifa swung at him again and Vincent ducked while pointing forward to a pair of wooden doors, the silver handles shining in a small line of sunlight. She turned towards the doors and stopped in mid-swing, her inhuman speed ending as quick as she started it.

"Is that…?" Her hand slowly lowered to one of the handles and turning it with a smile. The doors opened with what seemed to be the wind, revealing white ghosts moving with the same breeze. A four-posted bed stood in the center of the room while two covered dressers were on opposite wall. The third wall contained a two door balcony that faced out to the backyard and beyond. To the left of the room, stood a door leading to the master bath which Vincent hoped would help Tifa relax later on.

"Wow, Vincent, this place is beautiful. And look, we don't even need to repaint this room!" Tifa said excitedly, carefully brushing away the white sheets, revealing the hidden furniture.

"Many of the rooms are similar to this one, though this is the largest. I assume Denzel and Marlene have found their rooms, seeing that they haven't returned from their explorations," Vincent observed.

"Unless they got eaten," Tifa laughed.

"They have all been vanquished. No need to worry," He replied while striding over and whipping a sheet off one of the dressers. His eyes scanned it for damage and then with a nod of satisfaction turned to her.

"I know. Where are the sheets?"

Vincent raised an eyebrow until it was hidden underneath is bandanna. "They are stored away. I shall go and fetch them. Why don't you remove these sheets and we shall prepare your room for you. We have a storage area in the lower levels so if there is anything you desire such as candles, we have them."

Her eyes brightened and a fragile smile formed, "Thanks Vincent."

He nodded and twirled his cloak over his shoulders before heading out for the basement. It wasn't a place he wanted to revisit so soon, but it was needed. As the grimy walls welcomed him with their own moldy smell, Vincent cringed as he past the door that held his coffin prison. The coffin probably still existed inside, waiting for him to return. Though with the lid off, Vincent found it as welcoming as any bed; he still would rather avoid it for now.


	7. Befriending Chaos

**A/N: Well, hello everyone. Here's another update, and I hope you all like it... I certainly do!**

* * *

Chaos glanced upward to the balcony above him, the breeze pushing freshly placed curtains out of the open door. Turning his head, his eyes narrowed at the last rays of the sun; the busy day finally coming to an end.

The rooms for his visitors were complete, along with the rooms that were required for normal life. Some had barely needed work while others screamed in his ear to get started. With Tifa's help, they managed to finish quite a bit… or at least as much so they could live comfortably. Still, there was more left to finish. But now, Denzel was currently above him in new room, logically playing before dinner would be served. It was time to complete Tifa's wish.

Jumping into the cool air, Chaos took flight up to Denzel's balcony and landed with inhuman silence on the railing; resting one balanced knee against the white stone while the other was propped up in front, allowing his mechanical claw to relax on top. Closing his eyes, he swallowed… here went everything.

"Denzel." His voice was deep and soft; the main concern was if Denzel came out and panicked at seeing a demon outside his door.

The soft noises from inside ceased and Denzel slowly stepped through the threshold, a frown creasing his eyebrows in an amusing fashion. As the boy's eyes traveled over the surrounding green, they finally fell across Chaos kneeling in the corner of the balcony railing. He paled and tried to speak, jaw working furiously, but no sound escaped.

"Do you know who I am?" Chaos inquired gently.

"Chaos!" Denzel spat out, his feet jostling in the threat to bolt.

"I have merely come to talk. Don't be afraid." His wings spread a little in a slight stretch causing Denzel to jump back.

"You're- Chaos and you're telling me… to not be afraid," Denzel laughed nervously, his body slowly inching back for the two glass doors and the room beyond.

"Cry for help and I'll take you somewhere else for a more… peaceful conversation, try and get away and you'll end up sitting next to me the entire time. I'll keep my word as long as you'll hear me out."

The boy's head tilted, assessing and measuring the demon's words. "Is there a catch?"

Chaos smirked, "No catch. Just listen."

Denzel gave a brief nod, "Fine, but if you try and eat me, I'll scream and then Vincent Valentine will come up here… then you'd be sorry."

Chaos chuckled. "Well, then I must behave, won't I?" _If only the boy knew._

"So what do you want?"

"I've come for two reasons. First reason… to show you the truth," the demon explained. "What you spoke of before is not true."

Denzel took a step closer. "How do you know about that?"

Chaos raised an eyebrow, "You're questioning me?"

"Sorry…" The boy bowed his head, though his eyes continued to remain on the demon.

Waving his apology away, Chaos continued, "I've also come to speak about your behavior."

Eyeing him, Denzel leaned on the railing in front of the demon, his small fingers picking at the loose debris from the crumbling stone wall. Chaos suddenly tensed, feeling the need to bolt. The boy had gotten way too friendly. He was Chaos, one the most powerful beings of the Lifestream and here he was, playing father to a fatherless boy. And Denzel seemed to realize that the friendly nature of Chaos was something to take advantage of. "Why?"

"It is more like a warning," Chaos explained, containing a smile as the same small fingers came up to run along the wing that was hugged tight to the demon's side. In truth, Chaos coiled his muscles in preparation of an escape flight. How dare he touch him… though the helpless and lonely look in his eyes reminded Chaos of himself in full, both the demon part and the human part.

"Can you fly?" Denzel asked curiously, looking up into the strange amber eyes. Chaos hesitated, and then nodded reluctantly. He wasn't supposed to grow attached to the kid…

"Before I regret being nice, hear me. Earn some proper behavior and I'll spare…" Chaos thought it over. In reality, he hadn't expected the conversation to get this far. "I'll spare Tifa Lockheart."

Denzel took a step back and frowned before nodding at the deal. "I just miss Cloud Strife." His head shot up, "Please don't hurt Tifa!" Suddenly the boy broke and before Chaos knew it, he was in a tight squeeze while incoherent words were mumbled into his side. The tone however, was clear… Denzel was hurting and had no one to turn to; the reason why suicide had been in the boy's thoughts, the reason why he was clinging to a demon that could break his back in one swipe. He was looking for someone who could comfort him.

"If you change your ways, I will not harm her. Her health will be up to your actions." Denzel finally backed away and rubbed his tears off his face with the back of his hand.

"I will," He replied, shaky, but with confidence. Staring at him Chaos snorted as Denzel once again began to stare, almost with longing, at the pair of ruby wings. Fighting down the instinct to bolt, Chaos reluctantly held out his claw.

"As I have said, I will keep my word as to not harm you or anyone that is close to you if you change your ways. If it will prevent you from gawking, then let me show you the interesting feeling of flight."

"If I change my ways, no one will get hurt…" The boy's eyes widened, "Why are you doing this though?"

Chaos hesitated, mind racing, "You're not the only one who is hurting Denzel. I belong here, and I prefer peace between my visitors." Denzel took the claw carefully and as his eyes brightened, so did the flash of suspicion.

"Hey! I know a man who has something like this!" He said excitedly, tugging at the claw to lower it down for a better view.

"Coincidence," Chaos shrugged. "I am tied to no one of importance. Why should someone be like me?"

"Then do you know Vincent Valentine?" Denzel continued, the suspicion dispersing from his face as Chaos continued to stare at him.

"If the name registers, I shall roar into the air," Chaos replied sarcastically, purposefully tilting his head in a mock concentration before shaking his head. "Sorry, I cannot cry tonight."

To his surprise, Denzel began to laugh, his arms clutching his sides as he doubled over with happy tears streaming down his cheeks. Startled at this friendly action between him and the boy, Chaos shuffled back a bit until his arm was stretched between Denzel and himself. Still clinging to the claw, Denzel easily closed the gap; his laughter dying with the breeze that Chaos had hoped would hang around. Well, more work for his wings.

"So I get to fly?" He asked, a smile gracing his face.

Chaos snorted, "As long as those wretched sounds you create are gone… yes, you shall be able to fly. But briefly for I must go… I am not allowed to get so close and friendly with my visitors."

Denzel frowned, "Well, that doesn't sound very fun."

"Fun indeed. Now please, hold on or I shall never get both of us off the ground in one piece."

The flight was longer than expected, but the pleasure of having Denzel laugh and smile in front of him was something worthwhile. Tifa's plan was in effect at least, that and more. The fear that Denzel had about the demon had ebbed away, leaving a gentle friendship that Chaos feared would turn into something he wouldn't get out of. The boy was desperate for a friend, but Chaos wasn't someone to befriend, especially when the transformation left him exhausted and near starving for some nutrition. If Denzel ever figured where Chaos was from and who he came from…

Landing gracefully back onto the balcony, Chaos gently lowered Denzel from the secured embrace of his arms and took a full step back, regarding the boy with some amusement. "I shall go. Remember the words passed between us and recall the vow you have taken. Change your ways, and no one shall get hurt."

"You know, you don't seem the type to hurt someone."

"But I am, and don't break your promise Denzel. I shall be watching and if there is no improvement… well, use your imagination. You are growing into an adult; I believe you can handle this burden. Now, I have been too kind. I will return when I see some improvement."

"So you will come back?" Denzel asked hopefully. He blushed and his eyes focused on the tops of the trees. "Thanks for the ride Chaos, and don't worry. I won't let you down. And… I'm sorry."

"Do not apologize to me; apologize to those you have hurt. I merely want peace within this mansion… this is my territory and I shall protect it. Do not get any funny ideas…" With that, Chaos took off, feeling his heart pounding heavily behind the bright glow of the Protomateria. This was bad… Chaos shouldn't have any friends, hell, Vincent shouldn't have any true close friends, what was going on between him the boy that caused him to break open his hard eggshell?

Flying over the mansion, Chaos glided down to another balcony, a balcony that hadn't been on his list until now. As he landed, he had no care with the sounds he created while stepping through the door and seeing Tifa sitting in a fairly large chair reading a book. Her head rose and a mixture of wonderment and surprise splashed her features.

"Vincent, what are you doing here?"

_Only she would call me Vincent in this form._ He mused as he came closer to her. She stood and straightened her usual black skirt. "I've come to give you news. I threatened Denzel with your life, seeing that you didn't think of a back up plan if he didn't scream and run away."

"He stayed with you? It was alright?" she whispered, surprised. "And wait- you threatened him with me?! Vincent!"

"I had no other choice. Though he did befriend me, I think my words have been etched into his heart. He will change in time or no time at all." Chaos stood in front of her, grasping her wrists covered in a light long sleeved black shirt. She hesitated and slowly raised her head to meet his eyes. "I have also come for another reason Tifa," he spoke gently. Pushing up her sleeves, he flipped her wrists over, revealing the wounds she had showed him before.

"Vincent," She whispered fearfully, giving a light tug against his grip.

Ignoring her, he raised her hands to his lips and gave each wrist a gentle kiss, feeling power seep from his reserves of energy. She gasped and as he pulled away, the wounds began to heal until there was no trace of the scars that would have stayed. "May that heal other wounds as well," He whispered, his knees trembling underneath his weight. The stored energy was gone and now he was running on empty. Ruby wings lowered back into a cloak and sooty skin became black leather clothes. Raven bangs fell into his face, but Vincent made no move to push them away.

"Vincent!" Tifa cried and tried to hold him up, but Vincent felt himself slipping anyway. Gasping for breath, he tumbled and landed flat on his back, his head tilted upwards revealing his usual hidden neck. Black strands spilled around him and shifted as his head moved; trying to maintain enough energy to stay awake.

"Vincent…"

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**A/N: Chaos and Denzel... who would have thought. But they do have some similar conflicts, both of them lonely. Poor them:) What'd you think, please click that little button down there... pretty please?**


	8. Tortured for Science

**A/N; Another quick update. I really hope you all like this chapter because I most certainly do! I'm having difficulty to stop writing! Please review!**

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Vincent woke to a strange ceiling gazing back at him. The lights somewhere nearby gave the pale white sky a yellowish hue and were dim enough to slowly whisper to him to go back into darkness. But as memories surfaced, Vincent knew that he wouldn't be able to. Should he have done what he did; control Chaos to make the demon seem gentle and tame? His lips still could feel Tifa's scarred skin and he trembled… that had been the biggest mistake of all. Her hopes were on Cloud… and he had no right to have any relationships… he shouldn't even have friends.

Shifting a little, he realized that his cloak was gone and that it was the covers that held his heat close to him. The creaking of a door caused his body to stiffen and he slowly let gravity take his head to the side so he could observe the visitor through half closed eyes. Fighting to stay awake, he blinked to clear the blurry images in front of him, noticing a blotchy black and cream approaching the side of the bed.

"Vincent?"

He shuddered, "Tifa…"

Cold hands were placed on his forehead… so his bandanna had been removed… and he tried to jerk his head away. There was no time for people to worry about him. They should have done that long ago, the whole world lost its chance to give him sympathy. "Vincent, you're burning up… what happened?" Her voice was gentle as he weakly fought under her firm hands.

"I… Chaos… too many… times…" he croaked. How humiliating, could this get any worse?

"I shouldn't have made you do that… I'm really sorry Vincent. Here," she whispered. Small fingers slipped underneath his neck, tangling with his hair as her palm became the support for his head; lifting him up slowly in a half sitting position. Vincent grunted and felt hot metal with something warm against his slightly parted lips. "You gotta eat this Vincent… you'll get better faster," She soothed, as if he were a startled beast.

Before he could respond, the spoon was shoved into his mouth and he was forced to swallow the burning liquid. Just as easily, the spoon was removed, but it left a bitter taste in his mouth. "Might taste like shit, but it works," She laughed as Vincent struggled to maintain his usual blank expression. "But on that note, Marlene heard that you got sick and decided that the clean kitchen would be her work place. She made you a lovely cake, but I suggest you don't eat it. I think she forgot to remove the eggshells…"

A weak chuckle shook his chest as Tifa lowered his head and he closed his eyes. "I suppose this isn't what you had hoped for when you spoke of a vacation for yourself. I am such a terrible host," He apologized.

Tifa snorted dryly. "Come on Vincent. Stop talking like an idiot. I don't mind taking care of you, besides I should be thanking you anyways. At dinner, Denzel actually said 'please' and 'thank you' again. He also spoke about an imaginary friend that he wants to come back soon. I'm guessing that's you… unless, Chaos took full control…"

"I used Chaos… but he is not pleased… since I have acquired this dilemma of being even unable to think straight. See it as the demon's revenge of being used."

"Well, Denzel seems to admire you as Chaos. Whatever you said, you said it perfectly," Tifa said, pleased.

Vincent opened his eyes and stared at the hazy face in front of him. "He's hurting Tifa and I believe he is lonely. Cloud was the person he counted on, but with his disappearance, he has no one to turn to… and I know that this may hurt, but he doesn't feel the connection with you that he had with Cloud."

"It's a man thing, I get it," Tifa sighed. "Thanks again Vincent."

Her words struck him like an iron fist and he froze in place. It wasn't the words that startled him; it was the soft tone of her voice that caught him. As she was about to stand, his claw snaked out and grabbed what Vincent believed was her arm. "Tifa, Denzel is against me… I have already tried what you are thinking. If what you say is true with his desire to be with me in Chaos' form, due to the nature that the demon may be in a similar situation, I shall transform whenever I see the need-."

"What do you mean by similar situation?" Tifa demanded, but with no anger.

"Tifa…" Vincent coughed, wincing at the fact that the information didn't register.

"Oh Vincent, do you honestly see yourself that way?" She whimpered the emotional hurt evident. "I mean… I can understand some of it, but you do realize that I'm always there for you."

"I appreciate that Tifa, I really do, but you must understand my meaning," Vincent pleaded, releasing her arm from his grasp.

"I do, but I want you to understand that you also have to be the one that meets me halfway. Don't just sulk in the darkness like usual."

Suddenly uncomfortable with the change of subject, Vincent dejectedly turned his head to the other side, feeling his teeth clench together until they hurt. "I shall transform when Denzel desire's a friend, but do not be surprised if I shall be 'sulking in the darkness' for the rest of the week as you so kindly put it. Tifa, living with a demon nearly sitting on your shoulder day in and day out is not something to be pleased about. Chaos is not to be taken lightly and I have already humiliated his 'demon reputation' sort to speak."

"Alright Vincent, I get it… well sort of and I'm sorry if I entered a topic you didn't want to discuss. Now get some rest." She touched his shoulder lightly before leaving Vincent to contemplate her words. He always knew that she was there for him, but he had not right to come to her… the host of a demon just had no right to any human contact.

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Denzel poked his head out of the glass doors of the balcony, searching the skies for any sign of his new friend. In other words, he saw Chaos as 'cool'. The demon had understood his conflicts and made a deal that he could keep. It even gave him a breathtaking ride of the mansion grounds… or as Chaos put it, his territory. Now unable to sleep in the hopes that the demon would return while he rested, Denzel snatched a flashlight from his open suitcase. He would keep his word that he would fix his behavior, but curiosity could not be cut out from it! Opening his bedroom door, he crept out and gasped at the whole new prospective the mansion seemed once the sun was gone.

His feet seemed to lead him places as he explored one room to the next, avoiding Tifa's room, Marlene's room and the one that Tifa had put Vincent Valentine in when he suddenly passed out while talking to her. Now that everyone was either asleep or beginning to do so, he had the entire run of the mansion and couldn't help, but feel the need to explore.

Up ahead, he noticed an elevator and frowned… who would need an elevator to go from the first floor to the second; unless there was another floor somewhere. Grinning at his find, Denzel pressed the only button off to the side and the doors groaned open. Freezing in place, Denzel listened into the silence before stepping inside and grinning at the sublevel button underneath the other two. So there was another floor. Apparently this manor had a basement… a perfect place to explore.

The elevator was quite frightening as it shuddered down to the bottom level. Each shadow seemed to creep out and try to grab him to no prevail. Once the doors reopened, however, the wispy shadows were forgotten. Instead, a whole new level was open for exploration. When Denzel pictured a basement, he imagined box upon box of old junk that someone didn't have the heart to throw away. Instead, this manor had an entire new floor, with metal doors and tipped over bookshelves. Papers were strewn over the ground and as Denzel picked his way over them, something caught his eye… something shiny… and something that shouldn't be in the basement of a house. Approaching the area where he saw the glint, his hand ran along the rock walls until his finger tips brushed against the pointy end of a light switch. Flicking in on, he cried out in response to what laid in front of him.

A mad scientist's old lab, vials still filled with liquids. The table, however, was where his eyes continued to fall upon, it was rusty and old, but bloodstains were still smudged over it, even along the sides as though it dried while trying to drip onto the floor. Frightened at his discovery, Denzel spun and began to run in the opposite direction, only to find more labs with many covered in destroyed machinery and vials… and most of the tables were still painted haphazardly with blood. As his eyes raced over the environment… claw marks stood out in front of him, gashes in the old stone walls… meaning something or someone had been very angry…

"This was a very bad idea…" Denzel whispered to himself, backing up to go for the elevator again. Tripping over a fallen chair, Denzel scrapped his knee and hissed, but noticed a leather bound book underneath the table directly next to him. Curiosity once again forced him to reach out and grab it, dusting off the gray matter before opening it to the first page. The handwriting was smudged with what looked like old blood and the penmanship was horrific… worse than even Marlene's… but the words spoke to Denzel and he completely felt compelled to read it.

**The boy seems fit enough to serve as the host… with only the bullet wound, I believe I can adjust his body to something that will serve my needs. My wife believes that this experimentation is against her wishes, but how can I pass up such a wonderful specimen?**

Denzel slammed the book shut, feeling his beating heart pound against his ribs. What kind of diary was this? Who lived in this mansion before Vincent? Clutching the book to his heart, Denzel dashed up to the elevator and after another fearful ride, sneaked into his room. Crawling under the covers, he turned his flashlight back on and carefully peeled apart the pages, scanning for anything interesting other than the names of tools.

**Due to the body decay, his arm was removed, a most remarkable action and of course excruciating towards the specimen. The painful screams from this specimen are quite wonderful to hear as I continue to work. **

**Much of his skeletal system had to be rearranged so his body could enlarge similar to the way a serpent's bottom jaw opens when it's ready to feed. I made sure the pain was to a maximum; this bastard tried to pull my wife from science. She is in too deep now… there is no turning back from her fate…. As for his, he shall wish he were dead from that bullet. I smile every morning when I wake, thinking of the fact that I will cause those agonized cries…**

Denzel closed the book and found himself shivering from the words. Who could do something like that to another human being? And did the man live through it? Gazing at the book, an idea exploded into his mind… he held in his hands, his project. His teacher had desired him to explore different lifestyles. How about one that of a specimen from a science experiment? He could continue reading and learn more about this man who served under the knife. It was too perfect… but this specimen… who was he and would his new found friend… the demon who called this pace home… would he know of the man who was tortured for science?

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**A/N; So what did we think of that chapter?! Please review, I love all comments.**


	9. There is that Word Again

**A/N: I couldn't stop writing so here's another update... Thanks for all of those awesome reviews.

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"Denzel! Give that back!" Marlene's voice echoed throughout the manor hallways, and seemed to find its way underneath Vincent's bedroom door. Groaning, Vincent rolled onto his back before his eyes snapped open. The sun struggled to sneak through the tightly closed curtains and seemed to shout the time at him. Jumping out of bed, Vincent spotted his cloak draped over the end of the bed and whipped it around him before heading out into the hallway.

"Denzel! I'm going to tell Tifa!" Marlene screeched.

Vincent pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. "It's too early for this…" he mumbled before striding down to the main hall. Placing both hands on the wooden railing and leaned into it, looking down below to the two children arguing with each other.

"If I may intrude, what is going on down there?" Vincent growled, earning the children's attention.

"Denzel won't give me back blankie!" Marlene snarled furiously.

Vincent's gaze lowered to Denzel who was caught red-handed, the blankie twisted in his hands. "Denzel…" Vincent warned. The boy grumbled, but handed the blanket over.

"It was just a joke," he replied readily. Bounding up the stairs, he gave Vincent one more glare before heading down the hallway. "I'll be in my room."

"Thank you Mr. Pointy-Shoes," Marlene smiled.

_Pointy-Shoes?_ Vincent stared at her briefly before heading in the opposite direction Denzel had gone in. "Marlene, where may I ask is Tifa?" He shouted behind him.

"She's making lunch!" Marlene said excitedly. "We're gonna have a picnic!"

Vincent sighed and opened the nearest door and entered the room, slamming the door behind him. "It is too early for this…" He repeated before gazing for the window, opening it and wincing at the cool air that struck him. With a muffled growl, wings sprouted from his shoulder-blades with a sickening crack. Amber eyes examined his surroundings before jumping through the window and taking a gentle glide to the other side of the mansion.

His feet clipped on the stone railing as he landed, mindful that the stone wasn't as strong as it used to be long ago. "Chaos!" A small form rushed out of the room and held his gold claw, tugging on it a little.

"You disobeyed me Denzel," Chaos growled, his upper lip curling to reveal sharpened fangs. The boy barely flinched and Chaos tilted his head.

"I only did it so I could see you again," Denzel said quietly.

"Denzel, this wasn't part of the deal," Chaos sighed, calming down a little. His wings snapped like dried canvas as he stretched them, but Denzel only stared with eyes the size of saucers.

"I know, but I missed you," he continued.

"You're not supposed to miss me, you are supposed to fear me," Chaos groaned, once again pinching the bridge of his nose. He stood on the railing, preparing for flight, as he felt the true demon heart growl at these words.

"Please don't go! I actually have some questions," Denzel admitted as he rushed back into his room. Chaos hesitated… questions about what?

"Denzel, I believe that this friendship needs to end-."

"No! Please! You're the only person that understands me," The boy pleaded, appearing again, but this time with an old leather book hugged to his chest until his knuckles were white. Chaos' eyes narrowed briefly before widening, his upper lip curling once again as he stared at the book.

"Where did you find that?" The demon snarled, his wings spreading to their fullest extent in a threat, shielding the boy from the sun.

Denzel backed up fearfully, eyes brimming with frightened tears as the demon roared with rage. "I was going to use this for a school project!" He stammered, falling on his rump and continued to crawl away as the demon growled.

As the demon's rage intensified, the yellow eyes brightened along with the sphere of glowing white above his heart. Denzel screamed and below, Tifa's voice shouted the boy's name. Chaos spun and took flight, diving down to the ground where he landed defiantly in front of Tifa and Marlene. He roared again, his fingers clenching into talons as he struck the air.

"Tifa! Marlene!" Denzel shouted, leaning far over the railing to get a good glimpse. Chaos turned and glanced up, registering the cracks along the old railing before it fully crumbled under the right pressure of Denzel's weight. The boy screamed as he began his plummet from the second story. Chaos snarled and jumped up, catching Denzel, but getting struck by falling debris. The sharp pieces of falling rock cut gashes into the sensitive red skin of his wings as he spread them to slow their progress for the ground.

Denzel cried out, but nothing could be done as both of them hit ground, with Chaos' back receiving the brunt impact. Curling up around the boy, they waited for the end of the falling debris before standing. In front of them, Marlene cowered behind Tifa who was deathly white and fidgeted.

Straightening, Chaos regarded them, before noticing the leather book still entrapped in Denzel's arms. The boy rushed forward to Tifa and regarded the demon fearfully… the way it should be, but now with his wings badly wounded, there was no escape route.

"I suppose if you are planning on staying at the manor for this week, I should tell you the truth," Chaos said softly, the demon mind and heart once again quelled. He knelt and beckoned for Denzel who hesitated, glancing up at Tifa.

The fighter only smiled, a tear trickling down her face. "Denzel, there is a secret you should know." Chaos looked at her helplessly… the last thing he had wanted was this.

"Please leave us," Chaos whispered, glancing up at Tifa who nodded and ushered Marlene away. Denzel leaned back on his heels, thoroughly confused.

"How do you know Tifa? What's going on?" the boy demanded, glaring at Chaos who just glared back.

"How much did you read?" The demon inquired, ignoring the questions easily.

"Enough to know that I'm gonna use this for my project," Denzel snapped back, keeping his distance as he circled Chaos.

"And what is this project?"

"I'm supposed to study a different life, and this story is interesting enough. It has to be real!" he retorted.

"It is real Denzel. But I'm afraid you will dislike the truth," Chaos said calmly. "I just need to know how much you have learned from that book…"

"It's a science experiment, and… the specimen went through a lot of pain, he lost his arm and-." The boy stared as Chaos withdrew his claw, tilting it to and fro, letting it reflect the sunlight.

"You're the 'specimen'? But-, I don't understand," Denzel gaped and scratched the back of his head.

"Was the book the reason you treated Marlene the way you did this morning?" Chaos interrupted.

Denzel nodded, brow furrowed as he continued to stare at the claw. "I wanted to know if the man was still alive, but if you're the man- or demon…"

A scream shattered the peace and birds cried as they flew out of the trees. Marlene came running for them, her face splattered with blood. "Tifa- Tifa's in trouble!"

Chaos snarled and stood, holding out his human hand for Death Penalty. He turned to a frightened Marlene. "Where is she?" He demanded. The girl pointed mutely towards the trees. Roaring with both anger and fear, Chaos stretched, feeling his wounds instantly heal.

"I'm sorry…" Denzel lowered his eyes.

Chaos glanced back at him and sighed, "There is that word again."

The reaction was the one he was waiting for. The boy's eyes widened and he inhaled sharply. "Vincent?"

With that, Chaos took off, fear forming in the pit of his stomach. Whatever Tifa had gotten herself into… it wasn't good.

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**A/N: Uh-oh, Denzel is figuring it all out, and what has happened to Tifa? And what do you all think of the chapter? Please review!**


	10. Tifa's Plea, Lucrecia's Message

Chaos jumped into the air and quickly caught a draft that drew him above the tree line; giving him a glimpse of the surrounding world. His sensitive eyes scanned for a disturbance… which didn't take long. The trees ahead of him shook, waking the resting places of grand birds that flew off squawking their annoyances. Roaring, Chaos dove, his flesh hand gripping Death Penalty until his tendons ached. He showed no mercy for the branches as he plummeted, skidding to into a rushed landing at the last second. As his head stopped spinning, something pink flashed into his vision and he instinctively ducked, feeling the wind of whatever had flown by grace his cheek. Snarling, Chaos dodged; bouncing sideways to avoid the now noticeable pink tentacle covered in hair thin needles.

A creature that didn't fear the demon… what a pity it didn't know its fate. As Chaos once again ducked, his head jerked to the side. Underneath the nearest tree, Tifa laid… her limbs sprawled out like the roots underneath her. Her pale flesh was beaded with sweat and her chest rose and fell faster than normal. Around her left side, blood made slow moving streams to create a puddle next to her. Hearing her pulse like a slowing drum in his ears, Chaos returned his attention to the attacker… truly pissed.

Once again the pink arm shot forth from the bushes up ahead, the full body hidden from view. Spinning, Chaos curved, but brought his claw up to slice into the pink muscle, the needles not affecting the metal as he sliced clear through until the remaining half disappeared with a scream while the other end still writhed in the dirt.

To relieve some of his stress, Chaos withdrew Death Penalty and fired twice, smirking as the flesh shriveled and stilled with gaping wounds leaking a greenish fluid. The bushes finally began to stir as the now furious creature stepped through and Chaos' upper lip curled; hissing in outrage that the vermin didn't just retreat. No matter… the problems in Vincent's life along with the demon's need to kill anything in sight would blend quite nicely… to give the vermin a taste of Chaos.

The monster, once fully revealed was quite pitiful to stare at, though was a remarkable warrior. With a head similar to a water lily and a body resembling a spider, it was completely disgusting with the sharp needles continuing along like hairs across its back and legs. The pedals of the head spread, expressing the remains of the cut tongue as it hissed with fury. Chaos answered it and quickly dodged as it fired a mucus which clung to the trees around them. Inhaling sharply, he soon figured that many of the attacks contained poison, which didn't help his mood any. Tifa was dying and if he didn't hurry…

Furious with it, Chaos fired, only to see the bullets flying back for him, bouncing off a glowing shield protecting the head. Curling his gold fingers into talons, Chaos roared, feeling power flow hot through his veins into his gold arm where it gushed from his fingertips. The glowing sphere of magic continued to grow, the outer edges caressing his fingers until throbbing with the Power of Chaos. With one last roar that croaked into a shout, Chaos extended his arm until the sphere recognized its target and left him. The other creature didn't notice it until it was too late… the sphere striking it directly in the side and exploding like a mine. The shield shattered like glass, and the aftermath of the attack engulfed it in Dark which swallowed up its prey until the only thing left was the end of the pink tentacle on the ground.

Chaos smirked and with heavy breaths calmed down until the lust for destruction was a mere throb in the back of his mind. Still gasping for breath, he nearly flew over to Tifa's side and knelt. "Tifa!" He groaned, his fingers brushing over her arm and cringing at the feeling of her skin… she was burning… In response, her eyes opened slightly, but her attention seemed distant, no reaction to his voice or his touch.

"Please forgive me…" Chaos whispered and bent over for a light kiss… his lips gently caressing over hers. Once again he felt his power escape through his gentle touch and into Tifa's shuddering form. She didn't respond to the kiss either, and barely moved as he pulled away… frowning that the wound was still there.

"Poison," he concluded, fingers swirling the blood until his senses picked up traces of the fowl smelling toxin racing through her veins. Shivering with exhaustion, Chaos scooped her up and took flight, eager to get away… but concerned for Tifa's wellbeing. Her heart rate was high and the fever continued to rise… and if his demon magic didn't work… what would?

As the mansion grew into the correct proportion, he landed in the back garden, noticing that the two children had barely moved from the spot he had left them at. Marlene continued to cower from him… which was understandable… but Denzel was giving the demon different expressions… some angry while others held… respect?

"Get inside," Chaos ordered and fluidly rushed for the door to get Tifa comfortable so he could find Plan B for her healing. Denzel easily followed close behind with a small hand clasped with Marlene's. "There's a medical kit in the kitchen near the sink, fetch it," Chaos continued once they reached the common room… placing Tifa on the nearest surface which ended up as the couch. The boy hesitated, but quickly left, dragging Marlene behind him.

When Denzel returned alone, Chaos didn't question and snatched the kit from the boy's arms. Opening it up, he rummaged through the supplies until he found what he was searching for… bandages and a cream which would slow the bleeding to an end. He would have to do this the old fashioned way if magic didn't work… Slowly raising her shirt, he generously applied the glop, wincing at the grotesque wound on her side. Afterwards, he closed it up with the white bandages and straightened, examining his work and then gazed at Denzel.

"I am sorry… this is all I can do…" He whispered shaking his head.

"But can't you use magic or something?! There's gotta be a way," Denzel whined in return; his fear completely gone in both his voice and his movements.

"I have tried, but the poison has prevented it from working. I can only give her something that will relieve the pain, but…" Chaos leaned forward and placed another gentle kiss on the bandages themselves… still nothing occurred…

"You're Vincent… aren't you." Denzel whimpered.

The corner of the demon's lip curved upward as he stared at the boy. "Clever," He commented before his back arched as the demon side retreated, leaving a red-eyed gunman in its place. Denzel took a step back with his eyes wide, his fingers battling with each other as he continued to stare almost rudely at Vincent.

"Go comfort Marlene; she doesn't understand this like you do. There is food in the pantry if you desire it. I request that you stay away from Tifa until she is fully awake and ready for your presence," Vincent gasped, struggling to stand upright.

"Thanks Vincent, for everything. We'll be all right… I've babysat Marlene before," Denzel assured, a smile forming until his lips were pulled back to reveal white teeth. "I should have known you were the demon," The boy said while Vincent just shook his head.

"I shall explain many things to you later… when I confirm that Tifa is on her way to good health."

"I know, thanks again Vincent!" Denzel gave a halfhearted wave before exiting the two oak doors and closing them afterwards.

"Sleep…Vincent."

Vincent blinked and looked downward, sighing in a mixture of relief and worry at the sight of Tifa's wine colored eyes burning into his. She looked weak and helpless, but was awake just the same. "Not yet, do you require anything?"

Tifa blinked slowly, wincing as she shifted on the couch. Worried, he placed a cold claw against the burning fire of her skin. "Stay with me- I'm afraid…" She croaked. Vincent hesitated when she scooted over, defiantly silent with the searing pain from every muscle that contracted for her movement. Reaching up to unbuckle his cloak, he drifted it from his shoulders and let it slide up her form and smiled softly at the sigh he received. "Thanks, probably the only that will keep me cool won't it?" She chuckled feebly.

Grunting, he bent down and removed the gold gauntlets from his boots… the thing he didn't want was Tifa to get hurt even more, especially from his sheer stupidity. Once they were removed, he carefully crawled in behind her until she was comfortably squashed against him with her back pressed up against his chest. He could feel the heat radiating off her body through the cloak as though he was touching her himself.

"Stay here, so I can hear you breathing… I want to know I'm still alive," She whispered. Vincent draped his gold claw over her hip; mindful that the weight of the prosthetic wasn't placed on the bandaged area underneath her shirt.

"You won't die Tifa…" Vincent mumbled in return, his voice empty though he wanted to scream his care to the world. _How dare she say something like that._

"Are the children…?" She inquired. _Does this woman ever rest?_

"The children are fine and are in their rooms. Marlene's a little shaken and Denzel has thousands of questions for me as he has found that I am the demon that has been visiting his balcony. Tifa, you have been poisoned if you are interested in knowing and I cannot… I-."

"I know Vincent, I know," She soothed dimly. "Just, stay here, please. You're presence is healing enough."

With a dry snort, Vincent laid his cheek against the side of her head while closing his eyes. Both of them needed rest and through he rebelled the idea, he knew that he was completely at peace with laying so close to a woman who shouldn't even be around him.

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Denzel sat on Marlene's bed and slowly opened the leather book in his hands. Below, Marlene played with a few dolls on the floor, the past forgotten for now. As his eyes skimmed the pages, he winced at the words. Chaos had said it was he who was the specimen, but if the demon was Vincent… Vincent was the one that went through all these horrific science experiments. A piece of old paper slipped from the pages and landed on his lap; curious, Denzel lifted it surprised that the handwriting wasn't the chicken scratch that he was used to in the journal. It was cursive, and held a different message than the others.

**I found it… the Protomateria that will save him… help him control the demons within. I only hope that this magic will contain what lurks within his now black heart…**

**Lucrecia Crescent**


	11. A Lost Voice

A low groan close to her ear slowly aroused her from a dreamless sleep, pain almost too much to bear. Opening her mahogany eyes, she blinked into the darkness and yawned, feeling her ear drums pop at the change in pressure. The silver glow passing through the large open window behind the couch sprayed its light over the room, though the farthest corners continued to remain in darkness. Once again the masculine groan from behind alerted her from her drowsy state and wincing, rolled over to her other side, mindful where her weight rested.

Now facing the back of the tan couch, Tifa's eyes traveled up black leather, noticing it rise and fall with an occasional quickened gasp. Vincent had shifted from the position they had started out in, and now laid neatly on his back with his delicate head tilted upwards on the armrest, his raven locks spilling over the tan and the side to hang for a desperate reach to the ground. In the pale moonlight, Tifa smiled fondly at the curve of his throat, the only true visible thing for her at such an awkward angle next to him, and her hand reached out from underneath the sea of red to run over the gold metal arranged over his chest, as though he was about to recite a pledge with his left hand. Again, the masculine groan reverberated from deep within his chest and his whole body tensed next to hers. Ignoring the constant pain, Tifa scooted upwards, mindful that she didn't wake him and loomed over his face, eyes examining his fearful expression.

It wasn't her intent to disturb him, but as though she was about to touch something dangerous, she shifted her weight to one hand and reached for his cheek, his skin cool underneath her burning touch. He shivered against it and she froze with her fingertips still against his skin, too frightened that he would wake if she moved away. Blood orbs suddenly revealed themselves to the dark surroundings, but only briefly as they rolled to the back of his head and his eyes closed once again as he mumbled something incoherent. Sighing in relief, Tifa carefully pulled her hand away and shuddered. Clutching her bandaged side as it brushed against the rough material of the sofa underneath her, she gingerly scooted closer to Vincent's side, suddenly feeling as though she was in a large icebox. Kneading the red cloak with her fingers, she covered him up along with herself and laid her head on an open section of his chest, staring directly at the gold metal in front of her.

His heart began to pound harder against his ribcage and he hissed, with the wind whistling through his nose as he exhaled. Frightened that it was the demons in his dark mind, Tifa snatched his claw from his chest knowing fully well that he wouldn't able to feel any of her clingy attitude on the appendage. As his nightmare grew worse, Tifa's hold tightened around his claw as her own body trembled with the poison.

Suddenly his movements ceased, just as they had started, but instead of the steady breathing of sleep, the air he inhaled was quick and sharp. Clenching her eyes shut, Tifa struggled to steady her breathing as Vincent tensed underneath her, his human hand slipping from where it rested under half her body to come and rest on her shoulder in a comforting way though his body trembled with the remains of his dream.

"You had a dream," she whispered gently, swallowing as he once again tensed in the realization that she was awake. His hand slowly moved away from her shoulder to somewhere else and Tifa nibbled on her bottom lip in embarrassment.

"I did." Simple and to the point.

"You wanna talk about it?" She managed weakly, grimacing at the sound of her voice and the throbbing headache she was receiving.

"No. My apologies if I woke you, it wasn't my intention," He returned, yanking his metal arm from her grasp. Tifa closed her eyes to fight down oncoming tears though they managed to leak through anyways. He was retreating again, avoiding human contact.

"Please excuse me, but I must attend to some other pressing matters," Vincent mumbled, arching his back lightly to push her away, however Tifa's hold tightened to contain him to her side. He froze and the sharp intake of air warned her to think up an excuse quickly or he would most likely shoot her, or just go demon…

"Please don't go!" She blurted softly, hiding her face against the leather of his vest. _Nice excuse…_ "I- I don't want you to go," she continued weakly, her nails digging into the old leather while her body shook with the little movement that was beginning to exhaust her.

Even though he continued to be as stiff as a piece of wood, his breathing returned to the slow intakes and Tifa waited expectantly for the push she thought she would receive. It didn't come though and she began to wonder if she had been wishing for his remorse towards human contact. Slowly, his back curved with the sofa and she seemed to roll into the nook of his side as he carefully pulled her towards him in comfort.

Tifa bit back tears as they began to lazily tickle her cheeks and fall onto his black vest. How many times she had wished that Cloud would hold her the way Vincent was now. She was strong for everyone except for herself. Why was it so difficult? She had saved the Planet and yet here she was, crying over all that she had gone through into the chest of a man who barely cared. _So much for making a promise to stay together Cloud…_

"You're wound needs to be redressed. If I may suggest, it might be wise to freshen up before the new bandages are in place," Vincent spoke; his voice deep and unfeeling.

"I don't care about any of it," Tifa whispered between gasps of tears. His arm that curved with her back tightened its hold against her.

"Don't say that," He ordered, almost forcefully. Tifa looked upwards into his face and shuddered at his penetrating eyes. "I don't know about you, but I am concerned about your health. Don't let me fight this on my own," he said. Tifa tore away from him and tried to stand, only to sway and cry out as her knees buckled.

Vincent's arms wrapped around her in a simple catch and she fell back onto the sofa, or more like it, on Vincent. He grunted from behind, and Tifa merely curled up onto his lap like a child, desperately searching for some comfort from someone. Vincent, however, was a little rusty with the word 'comfort' and anything to do with the word.

* * *

As her body continued to fight the poison, the symptoms suddenly worsened as Vincent's concern rose until he was fidgeting underneath her. He didn't know how long they sat together, long through the night at least as the pink glow indicated that the sun was waking. The more he contemplated the poison, the more confused he became as Tifa received another fever that made him wonder if she was being cooked alive.

A soft knock on the door brought him from his musings and he quickly looked around, blinking at the sudden realization that he and Tifa were in a quite compromising situation. Lifting her up slightly before setting her down, Vincent stood and glanced back at the door, relieved that it was remaining closed until he answered it. Taking once last glance back down to Tifa's trembling form, he swiftly answered the door, eyes lowering upon Denzel still in his pajamas.

"How's Tifa?" He asked pleadingly, tilting his head to try and see past the slender man.

Vincent hesitated, should he tell the boy the truth? He seemed to handle about anything that was dished out at him, but that only went so far. "The poison is still affecting her. Do you require breakfast?"

Denzel shook his head and rubbed his puffy eyes. Vincent sighed. "You didn't get any sleep did you?" He murmured, tapping the tips of his metal digits along the wooden door. The boy continued to shake his head before walking over to the side table along the wall and pulling off an old leather book.

"I was reading," he explained, hugging the book once again to his chest.

"You have questions," Vincent noted, the Turk side of him noting the different change in body posture.

"Yeah." He added, "Mostly about Chaos though."

"You admire the demon then," Vincent snorted while Denzel nodded.

"May I ask as to why made you make that decision? You haven't seen the other side of Chaos except when he angrily landed in front of Tifa."

"He's like me!" Denzel whispered fervently.

"Denzel, may I give you some information that might change your decision. I am Chaos. The demon on your balcony wasn't the true demon that lurks inside. Just think of it as my personality inside a different form, do you understand?" Vincent spoke slowly. This was more information he was ever willing to tell anyone and it felt strange to speak of the demon to just a little boy, but maybe this would stop his curiosity.

Denzel's eyes widened to the news and he took a step back, assessing the man in front of him. "So it was you…" Shaking his head once again, the boy began to wander back down the hallway.

"Denzel, I shall call Yuffie. She will take you to Wuati and you can finish your vacation there. The creature yesterday has disturbed me and I am worried that the mansion isn't entirely safe. You'll have fun with her," Vincent rumbled and Denzel offered a halfhearted wave back to him.

Turning back into the common room, Vincent fluidly reached Tifa's side and his cell phone beside the sofa. Wincing at her uneven breathing, he dialed the phone number and quickly regretted the decision.

**"VINCENT! I knew you would call sometime!"** Yuffie cried. Apparently he didn't even have to announce himself.

"I need a favor," He mumbled, wandering as far away from Tifa as he possibly could.

**"Oh, and what would that be Vinny?"**

Involuntarily his fingers tightened around the phone and he carefully ignored her preciously placed nickname. "I require you to pick up Marlene and Denzel from the ShinRa manor. Tifa has been… terribly sick and I cannot take care of her along with the children. They are looking forward for a visit to Wuati."

**"They are? Oh, this is gonna be so much fun! Wait a minute, Tifa's sick? Is she okay?"**

"She met with one of the residents here and the outcome didn't turn out well. She will be fine here, but the children are bored and I cannot entertain them."

**"That's something I wish to see, the Great Vincent Valentine entertaining children with balloons and party gifts,"** There was a giggle on the other end.

"Can you do it?" He pressed, praying to the Planet that she would.

**"Sure! I'll sweet talk Cid and he'll pick them up for me. So, how ya doin'? I haven't heard from you in like, weeks."**

Vincent cringed, "Yuffie, I do not have time for nonsense."

**"Fine, but what do I get in return? You know me and airships, my stomach can't handle all the… excitement."** There was a loud grunt from the other end and Vincent frowned.

"There's nothing I can give you," He growled, getting more agitated than he had hoped.

**"Oh yes there is…"** She replied slyly and he began to pace.

"Fine, a kiss," He grumbled, adjusting a lampshade somewhat forcefully until it was swayed to the other side.

A shout on the other end closed the deal. **"I'll be there as fast as I can!"** She screeched and Vincent moved the phone centimeters from his ear. She spoke a few more anxious words to him before hanging up, wincing at the deal. At least it would serve Tifa in some way. Vincent didn't like the feelings he had stirring within him for the martial artist, but after that simple kiss he gave her in hopes that the demon would heal the poison… his feelings stirred along with the demon inside.

Tifa groaned from her place on the sofa, and slowly Vincent made his approach; eyeing her worriedly. Hazed eyes met his and she opened her mouth and inhaled deeply before giving him a pained smile. "Vincent," she croaked and he tilted his head. "My voice… it's disappearing."

Frowning, he reached down and tucked his cloak further around her, contemplating her words. "What do you mean?" Vincent asked afterwards, continuing to give her his usual empty stare.

"I- cannot… talk. I tried… to call you… before… but nothing came… out," She managed, but her voice was growing softer while the panic began to be quite evident in her jerky motions as her hand flew to her throat.

"Tifa," Vincent said worriedly, kneeling down beside the sofa as she grasped his hand fearfully. "Try to save your voice. I must figure what this poison is affecting the most, though it sounds like your voice…" Tifa nodded and as she opened her mouth again, the only sound was air moving past her lips. She closed it and began to tremble, worry etched into her face.

"Everything will be alright Tifa," Vincent told her. _At least… I hope._

* * *

**A/N: Oh no! Tifa's loosing her voice! And good ol' Yuffie... well, what didja think? I'm finding it really hard to write how the poison is affecting Tifa, especially when now she cannot verbally say anything. Please bear with me if the next chapter isn't up really soon... thanks and PLEASE REVIEW!!!**_  
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	12. A Gentleman, But No Lady

**A/N: Well, here's another chapter, I really hope you guys like it... and no, there is no yuffieXvincent...**

* * *

"Uncle Cid!" Marlene screeched and rushed for the pilot standing in the doorway. The gruff man bent down and picked her up, tilting so she was resting on his hip. Vincent emerged from the common room and carefully closed the door afterwards; mindful that Tifa had fallen back asleep around noon. Before hand, she had continued to talk to him with the most random subjects until her voice finally gave and then sulked.

Vincent then explained his discussion with Yuffie, leaving out some of the minor details, and she merely nodded her head and handed him his cloak with a weak smile. Sadly, she still refused to eat or drink, pushing away anything he offered with a swat of her hand and a raspy snort. But what made his day even worse was that her voice had officially left her. It was as if her vocal cords had been burned away, leaving only wind to escape her open mouth. He had no experiences with poisons, but what if her voice never came back?

"There she is!" Cid shouted in reply to the girl's cry and Vincent cringed at the friendly interaction between them.

"We're gonna go on another vacation?" The girl inquired, tugging Cid's goggles from his forehead and running her fingers over the smooth glass.

"Yup, you get to hang out with Yuffie," the pilot answered, his gaze shifting from the girl to Vincent. "You have a lot to answer for Vampire. Yuffie's been bouncing around my ship over a damn kiss all morning long. Not only did she wake me up at seven in the morning, but non stop talking the entire trip," Cid complained, digging in his pocket for a cigarette.

"Where is she?" The gunman said, crossing his arms and squinting past Cid to the front lawn. Looming outside the gates rested The Shera in all her splendor, reflecting light and nearly blinding him with the noon sun. As Vincent allowed his eyes to adjust to the bright shine, a shadow bounced into view and rushed past Cid to reach him.

"Vinny! It is so great to see you. Told ya I would get Cid to drive! Sorry I couldn't greet you at the door, stomach you know," she blabbered, bouncing on the balls of her feet in front of him.

"How's Tif?" Cid interjected, raising an eyebrow to the door Vincent glowered in front of protectively.

"Better."

"Oh Vincent, you and I need to work on you people skills. You're such a moody guy," Yuffie continued, putting on a pout.

"My skills are perfectly fine."

"Oh yeah, one worded answers," She gave a loud snort and then stared at him with puppy dog eyes. "So, where's your end of the bargain, Mr. Moody?" She closed her eyes and puckered her lips toward him and Vincent smirked from behind his cloak. He took his time to approach, eyes focused on her fluttering eyelids as the corners of her lips drew upwards with anticipation.

Reaching down, he grasped her hand to force her to stagger the few more steps between them and she readily complied, looking more and more foolish as the time went on with her face all scrunched in preparation for his kiss. Abruptly, he guided her hand to his thin lips to politely give her the promised kiss against her knuckles, never letting his eyes stray from Yuffie's face. Her eyes flickered open and widened at the 'promised kiss' as he gently pulled away and allowed her hand to fall back to her side. Behind them both, Cid crackled with laughter until he was clutching his side with his free hand while Marlene stared at all three of them stupidly.

"Vincent!" Yuffie whined. "You promised a kiss!"

"Which I kept. If you can recall Yuffie, I didn't specify where the kiss would be," He said smoothly.

"Ooh! Vincent Valentine, what if I just left these kids here?!" Yuffie threatened, determined to receive the kiss of her dreams.

"But, but," Marlene whimpered, twisting her head to Cid helplessly.

"He kept his end of the bargain," Cid chuckled. "You get to keep yours." Marlene's face brightened at this and stared triumphantly at Yuffie who had her attention solely on Vincent's blank face.

Yuffie purposefully spun and stuck her tongue out at him, "Stay out of this Highwind. Vincent shouldn't raise a lady's hopes with the promise of a kiss only to kiss her on a place that isn't even worth kissing!"

"I don't see a lady here. Vampire, do you see a lady?" Cid mocked, looking around the Grand Hallway as if Yuffie wasn't even in the room.

Vincent glared at the pilot. How many nicknames did he have now? Twenty? "I'm not sure I see a lady, except I do know that there is a very sick lady in the next room. I must be bold and ask for your departure. The sooner Tifa can rest in quiet, the better it will be," Vincent mumbled.

"Speaking of which, can we see her?" Cid looked at Vincent hopefully and sighed when the gunslinger shook his head, raven strands falling to hide his crimson orbs.

"I would permit it, but she is sleeping."

Yuffie marched up and teasingly slapped Vincent on the shoulder, her eyes glistening with her playful mood. "And I don't see a gentleman in this room either, so there, we're even. So, where's Denzel?"

"Packing," Vincent retorted.

"Hey Vince, I thought this place was a mess…" Cid gave the gunslinger a questioning look.

"If this is to be my home, I had to straighten it, though for the past month, it has barely been used."

"You clean up nice, want to come to my house?" The pilot joked and smiled as he carefully pulled his goggles away from Marlene to place back on his head. The girl squinted at him before wriggling to get out of his grasp and disappeared outside. Vincent automatically bristled at the thought. If one demon were still on the mansion grounds, logically there would be more…

"Hey Yuffie!" Denzel galloped down the steps with his shoulders covered in luggage straps and smiled broadly. He waddled over, occasionally hefting the heavy bags as they leisurely slipped from their places. Yuffie returned the smile and together they raced outside to join Marlene while Vincent tried to soothe his protective side.

"Well, sorry we can't stay and chat, but we gotta run. Promised Shera I wouldn't stay out too long. Besides, these damn kids will drive me insane the entire trip. Better to drop them off quickly…" Cid gave a halfhearted wave and left through the open door. "And Vampire, you owe me big time for this…" Vincent walked to the doorway and watched the four head for the gate to The Shera with his brow furrowed. Shaking his head, he gently closed the great doors and slowly made his way farther into the mansion.

The loud hum of The Shera taking off shook the poor walls of the manor before the sound was a mere echo on the wind. Vincent leaned back against the nearest wall and sighed, finally peace and quiet.

The noise of the departure roused Tifa from her dream filled sleep. Though she couldn't recall what they had mainly focused on, they left her in a happy mood and decided that if she could stand, she would try and help Vincent with the manor. With no children about, she would actually be able to enjoy herself and be… dare she say it, selfish for some of her own vacation time. Staggering to her feet, she took a few humble steps and smiled broadly, a small 'giggle' formed at the back of the throat only to come out as raspy air rushing past her lips. Sighing heavily, she picked her way around Vincent's gold boot coverings and stopped at the door. Either it was her martial artist instinct or just the uneasy feeling from the poison, but instead of opening the door, she looked through the small crack of light between them.

To her surprise, Vincent was across the hallway with his head rolled upwards revealing his hidden chin and top of his neck over the usual cowl of his cloak. Tifa could have sworn that he looked like he was about to fall to his knees and cry to the heavens, but it never came. Instead, his fingers slowly snaked their way from his sides to fumble with the buckles of his cloak and allow the fancy red fabric to fall to the floor around him. The few belts that adorned his vest went next and clanked against the wooden ground before lying like black snakes on a sea of crimson. Tifa continued to look through the little crack between the two doors, surprised that Vincent looked so relaxed.

Slowly his gold claw dragged the zipper of his vest downwards to reveal usual hidden flesh decorated with white scars. The edges of his vest shifted away from their meeting place to rest neatly at his sides, allowing more pale skin to show. Tifa had always wondered what Vincent hid underneath all the leather and belts, but she never expected this.

Yuffie used to claim she saw Vincent shirtless once when they first met him, exclaiming how much muscle he had and how drop dead gorgeous he was with flawless skin. Tifa had to agree with her to some degree, he was well built, not overworked, but still… it was something admire and he was drop dead gorgeous. But his whole body except his neck and face were splattered with scars as though someone used him for an awkward ticktacktoe board. Tifa moved closer to the crack for a better look, and began to admire the scars as well. She froze suddenly and blinked, were those really her thoughts of Vincent? Wincing at the thought of doing so much under the knife, Tifa gasped, though it was more like a wheeze. Vincent's eyes shot up and met hers through the crack and Tifa suddenly knew that she was in a load of trouble…

He frowned, eyes burning like the ambers of charcoal. Tifa slowly opened the door fully to reveal her hiding place and he tensed with his brow curved downwards. She tried to open her mouth to apologize, but still nothing. Vincent didn't seem to care at her struggles and his claw clenched nervously, face still without emotion.

Tifa took one step out of the common room and he shot for the stairs, nearly flying over them and rounding the bend to one part of the mansion. Trembling, she went to her knees, ignoring the jarring pain from her side and buried her face into her hands. _It's not like I meant to,_ she finished for herself. _Oh Vincent, what are you doing to me? Where'd my feelings for Cloud go?_

* * *

**A/N: So... good or bad? Hurray, Tifa's falling for Vincent! The next chapter is gonna be up soon, but please review! The more I get, the faster I update since I know I have readers. And thanks to those who have been reviewing for the past chapters, hugs to all**


	13. His Return

Tifa stared at herself in the full length mirror standing in the corner of her master bath. Water still traveled from the top of her scalp and followed the curves of her face to drip of her chin, her wet hair heavy on her shoulders. Her eyes lowered to her un-bandaged, the nasty cut still oozing the lime poison; causing the skin surrounding the gash to drop to a dark shade of red. She had been gentle with it as she wiped the dried grim away in hopes that it would heal faster when it was clean. Sighing, she opened her mouth and once again tried to speak, her brow furrowed with concentration as she stared at her reflection in hatred. After a few attempts, she threw up her hands and stormed out of the bathroom to get dressed and hope to find Vincent, not only did she want to apologize for her intrusion earlier, but clean bandages on a clean cut sounded somewhat relieving.

Pulling out a white tang top and jeans, she carefully slipped her clothes on, mindful that the wound was open to its surroundings and knowing her luck so far would most likely open with the softest caress. Adjusting her shirt one more time against her form, she stepped lightly out into the hallway, gazing around at where the light touched, watching the dust dance lazily to the ground as though little white snowflakes. Feeling completely relaxed at such a quiet manor, she leisurely made her way for the grand staircase, hoping to catch a glimpse of the gunslinger from over the wooden railing.

To her disappointment, as she leaned against the railing slightly, he was nowhere to be seen. _Probably slinking around in the dark like he used to,_ she mused with a smirk, going down the steps as fast as her sore body would let her.

Many of the old windows were open, letting the breeze rush into the obstacle in its way to freshen up the place, white curtains like a child's outstretched arms as the breeze pushed them away. The more Tifa looked, the more she didn't understand… how could someone take such a beautiful place and trash it into a mad scientist's laboratory? Her explorations soon became a mission as her stomach grumbled angrily at being neglected for so long. Containing a small chuckle, which sounded as a raspy cough, she traveled through the rooms to her destination.

Once passing the threshold, she hesitated in surprise. At the breakfast table, sat Vincent, but his presence wasn't what startled her; it was what he was wearing. Instead of his usual leather vest and cloak, he wore a burgundy button up shirt with the tails visible against his waist as though it had been an awkward rush to put it on, even the first two buttons were away from their proper holes; scars noticeable where the shirt began. The sleeves were rolled back, the most logical reason she could think of was for his mechanical claw and his gold digits were clicking patently against the old table, eyes focused on her without emotion.

_Vincent._ She wanted to call, but knew that even her tries would be pointless.

"Come."

Obeying his command, Tifa approached, the rose color darkening with every step and she hung her head in shame. She had never gotten this giddy around Cloud, why with Vincent? Either Vincent didn't notice, or he didn't care as he reached out with his human hand and took her wrist to quicken her sluggish gate.

Off to his side, spread on the table, rested all the medical supplies; with jars of ointment and even syringes. Shuddering at the thought of needles, she glanced helplessly at Vincent who continued to ignore her fretful emotions. Guiding her to the chair near him she automatically sat down and watched curiously as he moved his attention to the supplies, picking through it as though it was an everyday ordeal.

"I can give you a pad of paper and a pencil for communication until your voice returns," He stated after pulling out a jar of ointment and a roll of white gauze. Tifa barely paid any attention as she was focused on his hand and forearm. From his wrist to the beginning of his sleeve, pearl colored scars stood out in the sunlight, some traveling with the visible veins on the underside of his arm while others seemed to be ancient designs from a civilization long ago.

"Do you see something worth noting?" He asked sternly, eyes plunging into hers as her gaze shot for his face. A little more forceful than Tifa would have liked, he hooked his boot with leg of her chair and bent his leg at the knee to drag the chair closer. Obediently, Tifa moved her left arm to rest on the table while he reached forward and raised the white fabric from her side, tugging gently as the green slime forced her shirt to cling against her skin.

Biting on her lower lip, she closed her eyes as she felt his warm hand apply a cold ointment and couldn't help the tears slide down her face. She hated to feel so weak, especially since she was a trained martial artist, but the physical pain and the emotional pain was almost unbearable and she began to wonder how much more she would be able to handle until she collapsed. As his hand moved away, Tifa reopened her eyes to the now blurry world and focused on the trees outside the window with the occasional exotic bird resting in the branches. The bandages were pressed firmly in place causing her to gasp involuntarily, and Vincent's hand quickly moved away as though he had been stung. She shifted in her seat, she felt the seam of her shirt lower to the proper place, but instead of sitting, she stood and ignored Vincent entirely as she headed for the fridge.

"I am sorry," he said softly, with his voice deep. She paused at the fridge, her fingers strangling the handle. Frowning, she jerked against it, only to wheeze at the stab of pain. Fighting down more tears she jerked one more time, and once more the pain ran up her spine. "Tifa," Vincent said from the table. The chair groaned against the floor as he moved. Before she knew it, he was standing behind her, a firm hand wrapped around hers on the fridge.

Feeling hot droplets run down her face, she grimaced and tried to yank again, but found his chest preventing her from jerking backwards. Spinning around, her hand slipped from his grasp and she glared at him. 'Leave me alone!' she mouthed and tried to shove past him only to find that he stubbornly wouldn't let her escape. Stomach forgotten, she grabbed the front of his shirt with one hand and clenched the other in a fist, her tears filled with pent up rage. Vincent barely flinched at her mute threat and his eyes seemed to almost dare her to punch him. His hand came up to rest over hers once again, his fingers slowly untangling her own from his shirt.

"You wouldn't do that," he observed, lowering their hands and then letting go while backing away. As he retreated he glanced over his shoulder, black strands falling into his face. "I know you Tifa, and you wouldn't do that," Vincent repeated.

Frowning, Tifa closed the gap between them and he turned around, watching her blankly. She pointed her index finger at the visible scars on his arm and stared at him defiantly. _Yes, but I don't know you._ She thought, hoping her message was clear enough.

His eyes followed her direction to his arm which he raised to observe it closely before letting it drop back to his side. Tifa's lower lip trembled as her glare softened into a plead. Without warning, she stepped forward and rested her cheek against his chest, feeling him edgy underneath her. His heart pounded in her ear and as she listened, she couldn't help but smile as the beat slowed into a calmer one as the seconds flew by. He was accepting her this far, but were her new found feelings towards Vincent a good thing or a bad thing?

Her hand cautiously traveled up his arm to his shoulder where she rested some of her weight, feeling him shift to accommodate. _Never let go Vincent, never… let go._ She silently told him. To her disappointment, he pulled away carefully until he was sure she was standing on her own. Glancing up at him, she sighed and then slowly traveled back to the fridge where she opened it and examined the contents.

"Tifa, I-," he trailed off. Tifa was glad that he did… "You may do as you please," he managed and his footsteps fade away.

_Great, just made a fool out of myself,_ she mused while began to pull out a random sort of foods in hopes that they would settle her stomach.

* * *

While she was eating her late lunch, the sound of a large machine riding the breeze caused her to pause in mid-bite. Vincent suddenly appeared in the doorway, strangely wearing his usual attire once again. Frowning, Tifa lowered her food and tilted her head at him while taking a swig from her glass.

Turning to her, Vincent's eyes bore into her. "Cloud has returned," he murmured. Tifa dropped the glass and it shattered to the ground, though neither of them paid any attention to the sparkling shards while they stared at each other. As Tifa continued to rudely gawk, she swore she saw a flash of an uneasy emotion cross his face… but that was just in her head… right?

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**A/N: Uh-oh, Cloud's back... and what's going on with Vincent? Mmm... maybe you guys can guess :) ... Thanks to all who have reviewed so far and please click that little button down there, I'd be happy if you did.**


	14. Chaos' Claim

Tifa glanced up at Vincent from her position beside him then returned her nervous stare to the closed door. Both of them could hear a familiar roar beyond the doors and Tifa stiffened. After all these weeks, he finally returned… but she wasn't the same anymore…

The double doors groaned open and Cloud strode in wearing his usual black uniform, aqua blue eyes scanning the area before falling onto her. Smiling, Tifa politely began to walk forward, her smile growing with each step. To her surprise, he rushed forward and scooped her up in his arms, spinning her around as if she was a little child. "Tifa! It's so great to see you!" He shouted excitedly as he slowly set her down. She trembled to contain her cry; his right hand moved away from her side and she winced. Cloud slowly moved away and eyed Vincent. "Well, you haven't changed," he noted with the same smile.

"And neither have you," the gunman replied, equally eyeing the blonde from behind black bangs.

"Tifa," Cloud whispered, turning back to her as his smile disappeared. "I'm sorry what I did, but- I just had to finish some things up, you know? I didn't mean to hurt you."

_It's in the past… but I'm different now Cloud._ She thought grimly, but only gave him a sympathetic grin. Cloud returned it and gave her a quick peck on the cheek, his lips lingering there longer than she would have liked. His touch however, didn't cause the shiver that it used to… the feeling that always made her dream of more… and Tifa froze in place, her limbs unable to respond. Her eyes automatically shifted to Vincent briefly who stood behind Cloud with his arms still crossed. The gunman seemed undisturbed with the kiss and was staring off to the side, eyes focused on an old picture hanging on the walls which only caused Tifa's heart to moan.

"So Tifa, you haven't said a word, you okay?" Cloud asked once pulling away, eyes sparkling.

Tifa feebly stared at him, but jumped when Vincent spoke. "She was attacked on the mansion grounds and her voice has left her."

Cloud spun on his heel, "Wait, forever?!"

"I am uncertain. The beast has been slain, but…" Vincent shrugged, crimson irises staring straight through Cloud.

"And where were you? You should have been with her!" Cloud complained, glancing at Tifa. "She's like a sister to me Vincent! You know that!"

"I know."

Tifa gave Cloud's arm a gentle tug, gaining his attention as his head jerked. 'It's over and done with,' she mouthed. The blonde stared at her helplessly for a moment before nodding in defeat.

"Vincent, you mind if I stay here for a while?" Cloud inquired, his eyes never leaving Tifa's.

"You're always welcome," Vincent said dryly, his metal boots clinking on the floor as he shifted.

"Yeah," Cloud trailed off quietly. "I'm just glad that Cid told me where you were Tifa, otherwise I would have found an empty bar."

_Oh, so Cid told you?_ Tifa raised an eyebrow while Cloud gave a dry chuckle. "I called him earlier; decided to get a new cell phone. I was tired of wandering the Forgotten City alone and began to wonder how you were doing… But Tifa," He grinned excitedly. "I think I have found a way to get Aerith back."

Tifa's heart sank even farther and she wondered briefly if it was below sea level yet. Maybe it would just drown and she wouldn't have to deal with it any longer. She lowered her head and listened as Cloud rambled on about his explorations.

* * *

Vincent frowned as Tifa's head lowered at Cloud's announcement of his plans to bring back Aerith. His heart cried out at her sadness. He only wanted to see her smile, a genuine smile that she rarely gave nowadays, and Cloud was ruining it with his presence. Furious, Vincent returned his attention to Cloud. "Do you have any luggage?" The gunman inquired, feeling his gold arm clench around his other in a painful grip.

Cloud nodded, "I'll go get it. I'm so happy I am here."

_But I am not,_ Vincent snorted as Cloud ran back out the doors into the blinding sunlight. Blinking a few times, Vincent carefully made his approach to Tifa, noticing the new tears running down her face. Reaching underneath her chin, he raised her head with his thumb while his gold talons brushed away the fresh tears. Her burgundy depths searched his frantically, but he hid all emotions from her. "Do not cry," he ordered gently. "All will be well in the end."

Her smile was fake as she pulled away and stumbled to another room, her arm occasionally brushing a few loose strands of hair from her eyes. Wincing, Vincent slowly followed, leaving Cloud to defend for himself. The blonde would be able to find his own room and if not, Vincent was tempted to just lock him in a coffin.

"Tifa," he whispered after her, causing her sluggish gate to stop immediately. She turned around, but continued to keep her chin tucked down by her neck. "That's my job," he teased softly. "No one else can hide their face."

Just as he had hoped, a small smile sneaked its way to the corners of her mouth. She raised her beautiful head, appreciation clearly written on her expression. 'Thanks Vincent,' she mouthed.

Pleased that his social actions had worked, Vincent gave a curt nod before returning to his blank and dark composure. "You should rest," he ordered, tilting his head for the common room once again. Tifa wrinkled her nose briefly and then sighed. "I shall obtain the paper that I promised. There are books if you are interested to read. I apologize, but my technology in this place does not contain any sort of entertainment." She patted him on the shoulder and then made her way for the common room door.

As Vincent watched her go, his eyes shifted to the main doors, surprised that Cloud was standing in the doorway, his eyes staring accusingly at Vincent. "Is there something you want to tell me Vincent?" He asked coldly, his pack slung over his shoulder.

Vincent returned his glare, "What a pity, I left Cerberus in the other room."

Cloud grunted. "Don't try anything Vincent. She's part of my family and I'll be watching over her."

"And so will I," the gunman growled.

"Yeah, as long as one of your demons won't eat her for lunch," Cloud snapped back.

Vincent didn't retreat, but knew that Cloud was right. Chaos had been angry before with Denzel, but he had managed to contain the rage just in the nick of time. But what would happen if he wasn't as timely with his control? What would that spell for Tifa? Cloud closed the door behind him, depriving the room of a major source of light. The blonde moved past Vincent, the anger gone from both his stature and expression. Truly hurt, Vincent made a slow retreat for downstairs, his bitter mind desperately calling a time out. Chaos was moody and wanted release, and Vincent had to obey before the transformation would happen somewhere where he wouldn't want it.

* * *

Tifa stared through the crack long after the two men had gone, astonished that both Cloud and Vincent were at each other's throats. Vincent wasn't known for being protective, but for the past couple of days, Tifa had noticed a change in the gunman, a change that startled her and as she guessed… him. Cloud didn't like the protective change, that was for certain, but he would have to acknowledge it sooner or later. Worried for Vincent's wellbeing after Cloud's crude comment, she emerged from the common room and traveled the hallways, guessing the most logical place he would be… where they had found him.

* * *

Chaos roared and slashed at the old stone walls, leaving deep gashes in the rock. He turned towards the door, eyeing the thick metal and growled; his upper lip curling to reveal pointed canines. Charging for the door, he slammed his whole body weight into it, knocking down disposed coffins from their proper places. As the old wood fell, it splintered against the stone stairs, causing a bigger mess than before.

The demon cried to be released from the coffin room, fists pounding against an already dented door in hopes that it would just fall from its freshly oiled hinges. This was were it usually transformed, and it desperately wanted a change in atmosphere, feeling cramped in such a tiny room, or prison as it truly saw it. Just as Chaos was about to slam his whole body weight into the door, it slid open, revealing a clearly startled Tifa; her hand poised over her heart.

Snarling with rage, Chaos jumped and landed directly in front of her; feeling her whole body stiffen at such a close range. Smirking, the demon leaned forward and snapped at her neck, basking in her startled gasp. His sharp teeth drove into her flesh, feeling hot blood pour past his lips and onto his thirsty tongue. She struggled to pull away, but his hands snaked out to grip her arms, pinning her to him. Moving up to her ear, he licked his lips clean except for the small trail of blood on the corner of his mouth. "You're mine," he growled before chuckling. Tifa whimpered as he licked the bite once more to stop the blood flow, his hot pants blasting onto her bare skin, causing a shudder to race up her spine.

Just as quickly, the demon side retreated, leaving an exhausted gunslinger behind. Vincent, however, barely swayed on his feet, wide eyes displaying a rare case of emotion. "Tifa- I," he groaned, backing up into the room behind him. Tifa was rooted to the spot as she gawked. Vincent stumbled on the first step, landing with a grunt to the floor. Wincing he blinked as Tifa spun and ran off, her face blemished with tears and her body shivering uncontrollably. Vincent winced and raised his hand to eye level, frowning at his trembling form. Shouting out in sadness, he rolled over and slammed his gold claw into the stone floor, watching shards fly across the room. The demon had done the unthinkable… the demon had claimed Tifa.

* * *

**A/N: Short, I know, but I thought this chapter was pretty good. I just wanted to show Vincent's 'inner struggles', but what will happen now that Chaos has claimed Tifa? What will that spell for Cloud? Oh, so many questions, and they will all be answered later. I'm planning on writing some more soon, and YIPPIE! WE HAVE OVER A HUNDRED REVIEWS! THANKS TO ALL! Please leave a comment, 'cause I know they always help me update sooner!**


	15. Enter My Trap

From her position on the bed, Tifa stared stubbornly at her locked door as it shook from the force of a strong fist. One thing was for certain, however… no matter how hard he would try… Cloud would never get her out of her room.

"Come on Tifa, you've been in there for hours. The whole day has gone by!" The door vibrated a little more strongly and Tifa frowned at the pounding. Even after writing a note and slipping it under the door… he still wouldn't leave.

Tifa clawed at another piece of paper from her pad until it ripped and crumpled into her fist. Throwing it off to the side, she once again tried to attempt to draw the stupid vase placed on her dresser. She had been drawing almost all day, trying to ignore the bite mark neatly placed on her neck. With each turn of her head, it would sting as she stretched the freshly cut skin apart causing only more frustration. Her mind suddenly wandered back to Chaos… or Vincent for that matter.

She had feelings for him… he wasn't just a friend anymore. Her crush was growing each day she spent time with him, but the nervousness of Vincent learning of these feelings frightened her. Would he disappear if she told him? Would their friendship break? Tifa didn't blame him for the bite. It was completely understandable, especially when she startled the demon after opening the door. The words that the demon had whispered fervently into her ear were still ringing inside her head. Chaos rarely spoke, unless absolutely necessary and the words that had been spoken today sent her down a spiral of confusion. What was the demon talking about?

Before she knew it, a light sketch of Chaos' face had been created on the paper. She stared at it, falling into the depths of detail as though he was about to jump out of the pad. "Tifa," Cloud groaned from outside. "It's nine at night, at least come out and get something to eat."

_No._ Tifa thought sternly while sliding off her bed and storming towards the balcony. The night sky sparkled down at her while the large moon sent it's eerie glow across the surroundings. Glancing up at the detailed potholes in the white circle, she began to pace absentmindedly, her frustration building as the thought of Chaos grew. Unconsciously, she reached up and let her fingertips brush over the dip of the bite. Pausing in her movements, the back of her neck bristled as the wind whipped around her. Tensing; she spun, glancing around for the source of the sudden feeling of danger.

The trees far into the wild, gnarly wood shook a little stronger than the others and Tifa squinted. As the leaves shuddered at the abuse, the bite began to burn more strongly causing her to gasp and cover it with a stiff hand. As the pain increased, a crimson glow from the bite swirled about her fingers, hissing with power. Wet eyes rose to the moving trees, realization striking her with full-blown force. Chewing on her bottom lip, she took a running leap over the edge of the balcony.

The fall was short and successful as she landed with a sigh onto the dewed grass, her knees bending to accommodate gravity. Once she regained her balance, she took off for the trees, soaring over the jumbled roots underneath the groaning trunks to get to her destination in time. The bite continued to burn, repeatedly reminding her that there was trouble with a faint glow that intensified with each step she took. As she continued onward, the sounds of the forest around her grew with roars of pain and anguish… along with the occasional gunshot. Her heart began to beat more strongly as her feet quickened over the wet ground while another pained cry vanished into the wind.

The trees seemed to thin the closer she became, only getting confused once before finding the right path after another cry. The sounds grew and as she parted the leaves of a few bushes in front of her, the source of it all knelt on the banks of a small crystal clear pond; the mixture of pebbles and dirt around him colored with blood that visibly dripped down his leather-covered leg. Tifa hesitantly stepped through the bushes, eyeing him as he stood with his cloak swirling about in the wind. He still didn't notice her as she fully stepped into the moonlight off to his side, his blood red eyes focused on the problem before him. A demon, similar to the one that had injured her… if only smaller, reared it's ugly head; its tongue lolling out of it's mouth as it swayed back in forth in a taunt.

Vincent's cloak snapped in the air as he forced it back with a wave of his arm, revealing Cerberus at his side, the silver charm dangling violently at his movement. His eyes narrowed, and Tifa covered her mouth to contain any noise (as if she was going to make any). He was angry, no, furious… she had never seen him so, even before he transformed into the demon. Standing tall, he pulled Cerberus from the holster and raised it, his arm stretched to shorten the distance to the target, the young monster still warning the gunslinger with jerks of its head.

Just as the pink tongue shot from the folds of the mouth, Vincent jumped to an incredible height… an inhuman stunt as he almost hovered in front of the moon, his cloak casting its dancing shadow across the newly created battlefield. Cerberus was fired, three bullets glowing gold with speed and power that struck the shield around the creature's head… only managing to anger the creature further. Vincent flipped before landing with an audible grunt, his knees bent to keep him from injury. As his head rose, Tifa swallowed as the glare softened upon recognizing her, his eyes swirling with pain and sadness before dodging another attack from the demon.

Her gaze followed the trickle of blood as he spun in the air, firing as he went. He had been fighting for a while… his breathing was quickened and even his hand was shaking with exhaustion as he fired again, missing his target and striking a helpless tree instead. _Well, stop standing here like an idiot and go help!_ Tifa's heart screamed, but her mind rebelled. She knew her body wouldn't be able to contain the amount of energy needed to enter a battle. _But still, I can try,_ Tifa mused and rushed to Vincent's side and crouched, her hands clenching into fists as she prepared for an unwanted fight.

The juvenile roared again and slashed out with the pink muscle, striking Vincent in the side, causing blood to splatter around him as he was thrown into the water. Time seemed to slow as Vincent's limp form was airborne until landing with a horrid smack against the waters surface. Furious that one of her friends had gotten injured because she hadn't gotten there sooner, Tifa charged, ignoring the thought of gloving her hands.

The cry was almost pleasing as Tifa's fist slammed directly into the gaping mouth, only to be repelled by the shield instead. Flying backwards, Tifa landed on her feet, skidding to a halt only to disturb the dust underneath her. Her eyes narrowed, examining the attacks as she easily dodged another 'tongue attack'. The demon cried again and this time charged; the ground vibrating as it came closer. Crouching low, Tifa jumped; her legs becoming like springs as she managed to evade the large form. Soaring over its head she spun and sent kick to its back, feeling the bones crunch underneath her foot as she crippled it. With a blundering halt the demon fell; each of its eight legs stretched out around it, some even snapping at the pressure of the body weight. Landing perfectly on the opposite side, Tifa straightened and watched smugly as the creature moaned, struggling to move toward her… still not giving in until death claimed its black heart.

Clenching her teeth until her jaw hurt, Tifa once again jumped into the air, sending a heavy kick to the back of the neck, an unguarded area. Either the head was going to break off, or something horrible broke inside as Tifa landed feet first into the thick neck. The creature cried out with green ooze spurting from the mouth as it collapsed underneath her. Tifa, however, hadn't prepared the landing and tumbled away from the demon until landing flat on her back, with her vision spinning.

Water splashing quickly drew her from her dazed state and she rolled over to her stomach to watch a wet Vincent Valentine trudge out of the water, droplets falling from him only to make him… dare she say it… even more sexy. His head rose as he stared at her, "You all right?"

She nodded before getting to her feet, dusting her legs off to examine the scraps underneath. Satisfied that she sustained no major injuries, she trudged over to him, growing more worried at the sight of him shivering uncontrollably. Recalling the blood on him, she quickened her pace to reach his side, where she pulled the damp cloak away to examine where she swore there was blood. He allowed her concern as she tugged against his clothes, only to grunt as she pulled away the red fabric from his side. Instead, there was a clean cut in the leather material of his vest, exposing the pink flesh underneath. The dried remains of blood crackled around the visible skin, but there was nothing…

"Chaos," Vincent rumbled, his eyes sparkling at her wonder. He suddenly winced and moved away, eyes darting over to where Cerberus had fallen. Tifa swallowed hard, knowing fully well where his thoughts had wandered. Slowly, he made his way over to where his gun lay and bent down to retrieve it, kneeling there long after Cerberus had been put away. "Tifa," he began quietly, avoiding her stare easily, until it was as though he was talking to the lake beside him. "I- I apologize for what happened earlier today."

"Don't be," she whispered and quickly covered her mouth, eyes wide with shock. Vincent spun to her, his eyes closing, though there was a soft smile on his face. Regaining her serious composure though she wanted to shout to the world that her voice was coming back, Tifa approached him. "It… was my fault… to begin with."

"I can fix it," he spoke with confidence, though his face betrayed him.

"Don't…" Tifa shook her head. "I… feel connected… to you… somehow." She blushed and avoided his intense gaze.

"You are," Vincent answered truthfully. When she raised her eyebrow in question, he sighed heavily before standing. "It is like you said, you are connected to me… and I feel horrible with the thought," he brushed his wet bangs away from his face.

"Please don't say… that," Tifa whimpered. If he felt bad being connected to her, then was she forcing him to do all these things for her, or was he doing it on his own free will?

"Tifa." She ignored him, hoping that he would just disappear, but her body decided to change that. Exhaustion washed over her like a wave and she suddenly collapsed. When she thought hard ground would meet her, however, strong arms pulled her into a more… cushioned place. He had pulled her into his lap, with him landing on his backside to finish the fall while he held her to him.

He was wet, but warm as Tifa clung to the corners of his cloak while he wrapped his arms around her. Vincent made no move to push her away while she clung to him, and she fidgeted as his claw came to rest on her side.

"Your side," Vincent noted, his gentle touch growing into a more pressured push against her side. When Tifa half expected searing pain, she blinked when it didn't. Startled, Tifa reached under and removed the bandages; growing even more surprised when the gash was gone… not even a scar remained.

"Chaos," Vincent shrugged. Still unconvinced that this was real, Tifa jerked her head to stare at him even harder, noticing his body shuddering fiercely. He raised his head to the sky, a small smirk visible as he blinked at the stars. "It is… hard to explain."

Tifa didn't question and got to her feet, holding out her hand to help him up. "I… want you out of those… clothes," she ordered, glaring at him until her stomach fell down into the planet. _What did I just say?!_ She could feel her cheeks darken as Vincent raised an eyebrow, the smirk still visible behind the cowl of his cloak.

Vincent got to his feet without help, groaning however as he straightened. Tifa's blush intensified as he made a slow approach, keeping his face agonizingly blank. By the time Tifa could logically think straight, his cheek was barely against hers, his mouth close to her ear. "Maybe… you could help me," He chuckled, pulling away afterwards. Tifa swallowed her tonsils, feeling her eyes dry out during that brief moment of time. _He's taunting me, that overly sexy bastard! He knows he gets to me!_ Fighting down her mind's attempts to become a puddle of goo at his feet, she smiled slyly back at him.

"Is that an offer?" Her voice cracked and she quickly closed her mouth, determined to stay the victor.

"Would you like to find out?" He taunted.

_Yes…_ Tifa opened her mouth for a cruel retort when the bushes shook violently; leaves making a lazy flight for the ground before the whole team barreled into the clearing; all of them tumbling over each other to get through the thick bushes. "Tifa!" Denzel cried and rushed past the Avalanche Group to tumble into her waiting arms while Marlene waved from her perch on Barret's shoulder.

"What's going on?" She laughed, earning surprised glances from everyone.

"You're better?!" Yuffie squealed before bouncing around Cid who crinkled his nose.

"I thought you were in your room," Cloud interjected, stepping up before the team to regard her accusingly.

Tifa bit her lip and shrugged, "Got bored." From behind, Vincent gave a quiet snort while folding his arms over his chest, the gold fingers tapping on the black leather.

Cloud grunted at this before straightening his stature. "Barret found uh, some information Tifa that I don't think you're gonna like," he began, the air around them suddenly becoming too thick to breath. Tifa quickly assessed the group behind the blonde, counting mentally before she took a step back, to Denzel's disappointment.

"Where's Nanaki? And Cait Sith?" She demanded shrilly.

"That's the problem, those two dumbshits have gotten into trouble," Cid interjected, putting a firm hand on Yuffie's shoulder to keep her feet on the ground. The young ninja balked against him and gave a look that could kill before sighing heavily.

"Tifa, Reno and Rude gave me some information earlier," Barret scratched his head. "They have been taken. That's all I know."

"We have to go look for them," Tifa whispered, watching as Cid rolled his eyes.

"Well yeah! That's why we're here for cryin' out loud!" He shouted, a cigarette barely hanging from the corner of his mouth. Tifa quickly wondered if it would fall out and alight Yuffie's hair…

"We'll talk to Reno and Rude first; maybe they have more than they're telling us. Let's go." Cloud beckoned them to follow and obediently they all pushed back through the trees except for Denzel, Tifa, and Vincent.

Staring intently on the ground in front of her, Tifa rubbed the back of her neck until the skin burned. Denzel grasped her other hand pleadingly, his large eyes glancing between her and the way the team had left.

"Vincent," Tifa whispered, gaining the gunman's attention.

"Yes?"

"Do you- do you think it could be Sephiroth?"

He was silent at first before walking up beside her. Tifa raised her head to stare at him, her concern deepening at her unanswered question. "It could be many things," he said finally. "And Sephiroth could be one of them," Vincent added as if in afterthought. Glancing at her, he shrugged lightly before shifting to rest his weight on one foot while the other was bent at the knee. The moon reflected off of anything black, and soon Tifa's mind went back into the gutter, her eyes trailing his form… and to her relief going unnoticed. Vincent's attention was directed on the already decaying body of the creature he had been fighting, his eyes narrowed into fiery slits as one of the disappearing legs moved during its rot.

"Tifa," Denzel whispered worriedly. "We have to go."

Nodding, Tifa led the way with the two boys trailing behind. She knew Vincent would make sure she was in sight, but still, he kept his distance. To her surprise, Denzel stuck close to the gunman which only created a weak smile across cherry lips through the frightening times.

* * *

"Vincent?" Denzel inquired softly, gazing upwards nervously though he knew that Vincent would listen anyways. "I, I finished the book today. And I'm- really sorry I was so mean to you before. So will you answer my questions please?" Hoping his puppy dog face would work, he turned and walked backwards so Vincent could see.

"It depends," Vincent mumbled. "But I would suggest you walk right or you won't be around for any answers."

Denzel quickly righted himself and contemplated Vincent's words. 'It depends'. Now what was that supposed to mean?

* * *

"Go," the gunman interrupted his thoughts. "Go to the team; they might want to know that you're safe."

"I'm safe around you," Denzel complained, wincing at the glare he received. "Alright, alright, I'm goin'." With that he took off past Tifa who only paused at his sudden anxious gait and was soon out of sight and mind. If only a light bulb would brighten above his head; Vincent smirked and jumped, landing neatly besides a startled Tifa, a hand poised over her heart.

"Vincent, stop doing that!" She ordered, playfully punching him in the shoulder. He chuckled at this before walking shoulder to shoulder, his eyes focused on the curving path ahead, though he wouldn't consider it a path. If he hadn't been through here before, he would have sworn that they were lost. Tifa seemed to have a natural sense in direction and turned right when the 'path' went left. Amused with this, Vincent took the opportunity to have some fun.

"My apologies, I just assumed you wanted me to return to the manor as soon as possible."

Tifa's brow furrowed. "What?" _Good Tifa, just enter my trap…_

"Unless you will allow me to leave my clothes on… then we won't have to rush. Then again, why must we head for the mansion anyways? There is a perfect area near here…" He had been right, her face was priceless. _Alright Tifa, your move._

* * *

**A/N: I'm really, really sorry for updating so late, but last week I was on vacation... scuba diving every single day and then I got sick... eh, at least it is finally up. Please let me know what you guys think of this chapter, it was really, really hard to write and I'm glad I finally have it the way I've got it. Click that little button over there if you please, it is very much appreciated. And I also would like to apologize for not writing back to all of my reviewers... once again, dang vacation got in the way... anyway, button over... there... yeah right there!**

**J**


	16. An Unwanted Trip

**Sorry it has taken me so long to update, but I have something called "Junior Theme" to write and it is killing me. Dang eight page paper... anyway, I really like this chapter... I hope all of you do too, and don't forget to drop a review on your way out! XD**

* * *

"But why do we have to go to school tomorrow?" Denzel whined, as he sluggishly followed Tifa around her room on the second floor of Seventh Heaven. Entering her closet after her, he slouched in the threshold as hangers scrapped across the railings while she tossed clothes to the floor.

"Because I don't know how long we're going to be gone and you already have missed almost a week. You don't need to miss anymore."

"But Tifa," he whined, scrunching his face in a childish pout. "You'll be taking chocobos!"

"That's only because Cid's ship is in for repairs and we don't have any other mode of transportation that can go over rough terrain."

"That's not what I mean," Denzel continued. "If you take chocobos, then it'll take you longer."

Tifa turned with her hands resting on a few pieces of clothing. The corners of her lip twitched as she stared at him with large burgundy eyes. "I'll come back Denzel," she said softly.

"I know," he whispered and tensed at heavy footsteps out in the room. Spinning on his heel, he briskly walked out of the closet to freeze in front of crimson. Vincent hesitantly stepped forward, his arms balancing two large parcels as he closed the bedroom door with a nudge from his gold plated boot. Tifa poked her head out from the closet, hair sliding from the back of her neck to dangle close to her shoulder. Her eyes darkened upon seeing him, and frowned at the two boxes.

"These should have been given before, but I seemed to have forgotten. The bottom one is for Marlene, but the other is for you, Denzel," he said as he gently placed the packages down on the springy mattress causing the old springs to protest.

Not once did his eyes focus on the boy or Tifa when he backed up for the door, nearly tripping over the ends of his cloak as he did so. "Maybe it was for the best for they seem appropriate now." With a polite nod he thrust the door open with a yank of his claw and briskly disappeared down the hallway and into the buzzing noises of shouting below.

"Huh," Tifa grunted while Denzel scrambled over the end of the bed to kneel next to the large brown boxes.

"Can we open them?" He asked shrilly, feeling his stomach do a flip.

"Well, I don't see why not, but let Marlene open hers," Tifa shrugged and stepped forward to hold the edges of the first box as Denzel began to fight with the folds, grimacing at the stubborn cardboard before growling. Biting down on his tongue lightly, he heaved one more time before the satisfying sound of peeling tape came to his ears.

Tifa gently pushed the folds away and together, they stared at the insides. "Popcorn?" He questioned, staring at the sea of white foam tubes. Laughing lightly, Tifa's hands dove inside whilst the foam popcorn began grinding against the box as she dug around. Her eyes widened suddenly, and her movements froze as the popcorn settled, some spilling down the bent folds to land on the mattress.

"What?! What is it?!" Denzel asked breathlessly, leaning so far over that he could have easily fallen inside with a gentle push from behind. Bracing himself with his elbows pinned to two corners of the box, Denzel grunted impatiently as Tifa's buried hands and arms made a slow ascent with an object clasped between her clawed fingers.

"It's you!" Denzel exclaimed and quickly snagged the figure from Tifa's stunned grasp to examine it. He had been right, the figure was her… poised and ready to kick out at an invisible being. Even in the poorly lit room, the detail of her old white t-shirted uniform along with the facial features stood out in the golden glow.

"Is that it?" He questioned, thrusting the figure back into her open palms to dig around back inside the box until coming upon another prize. A Cid figure; staff bent behind him as he crouched low to spin the thin stick over his head. Even a lit cigarette was clenched between his porcelain teeth. "It's the team!" the boy exclaimed, placing the figure down beside him to return to the box, pulling out the Avalanche Team: Nanaki with his fiery tail curved around his back foot. Yuffie with her thumbs pointing skyward and her smart ass grin. Cait Sith and Reeve together, with the robot held snug in the man's arms. Cloud, the largest figure astride the famous Fenrir with one of his colossal swords grasped within his tiny hand. Barret, his robotic arm held forward with his face squinting with determination. Last but not least, there knelt Vincent, Cerberus held away from his side with his cloak swirling about his feet.

* * *

As Tifa studied the figure in the boy's hands, her eyes widened and she rushed for the door, yanking it open in haste. Leaving Denzel and his gawking, she descended the stairs until it was gravity speeding her up along with the rhythmic pounding of her feet.

In the bar, the team lounged around in the booths, sticking mainly close together and reminiscing cheerfully about good old times; surrounded with gear that they were planning on taking along. Tifa's eyes scanned the area for the color she was looking for, but it never came across her line of vision.

"It's beginning to rain," Barret said solemnly, nodding to the window as everyone else turned to look at the large droplets pattering against the glass.

"I hate the weather; it changes here so drastically and so suddenly. You'd think there'd be a between time, but no!" Yuffie huffed, rubbing her upper arms while sitting cross legged and surrounded with colorful orbs of materia.

"Well if your cold, then why don't you put on a pair of descent pants instead of those so called things you usually wear," Cid snapped back, propping his legs upon the table in front of his red leather seat and sticking a cigarette between his pursed lips.

"These are pants!" she said indignantly, glancing down upon her cream shorts.

"I suggest packing warm clothes though, the weather is cooling off, we might run into snow," Cloud spoke from behind the bar, his head held up by his gloved hand, eyes slowly disappearing behind tan eyelids as he sighed. Tifa stifled some laughter at his exhausted expression.

After the grave news had been given, they had separated for traveling purposes, only to meet together again back at Seventh Heaven to prepare for this unwanted trip. The whole ride home in her old bucket of a car, Tifa's mind had been on one thought only; how to get back at Vincent for what he did to her on the trek for the mansion. He had embarrassed her to no end, and still her stomach did the occasional flip at the memory. But the question still remained unanswered, how to get back at him? And now with the gifts he had given the children, Tifa was suddenly unsure if she really wanted to return the cheek burning favor.

"Don't ya worry, Cloud," Barret bellowed, his white teeth flashing in a smile.

"But that's the problem," he sighed again. Aqua irises revealed themselves lazily, "I always worry."

"Worry-wort," Cid huffed loudly, smirking at the glare the blonde gave him.

Yuffie's face brightened. "Does anyone know where Vinny went?"

"And what the hell made you suddenly think of him?" Cid demanded, staring at her incredulously. Yuffie gave a low growl in response, her nose scrunching with the animalistic noise.

"Hopefully freezing his ass off," Barret mumbled before his attention returned to a satisfied Marlene next to him. The little girl hugged her blankie closer, as if that was even possible, and curled up in the little nook between Barret's side and his muscled arm, a wide grin of content spread over her face.

Tifa frowned and glanced for the door… why was Vincent outside? As if on cue, it opened to the black darkness beyond; a shadowed figure dripping on the threshold as gold boots clicked with fluid movements as the figure walked forward. Vincent stepped inside, water dripping from every part of him as he glowered angrily.

"You shoulda taken the umbrella," Barret said sympathetically as he grimaced at the clingy clothes.

"Even an umbrella is useless in this weather," Vincent answered, closing the door with a gentle flick of his wrist, eyeing the wood as it slipped away from his loose push to meet the doorway. He raised his head to regard them all solemnly before nodding to Cloud. "Much of our supplies are at the stables," he said with a tinge of disgust. With another swift nod, he reopened the door much to Yuffie's annoyance and disappeared once more into the night.

"He is one of the weirdest guys out there," Cid noted at the closed door.

"At least you'd think he'd have the manners to stay inside and keep the door closed," Yuffie complained, hugging herself once again as the cold breeze contaminated the warmth.

"Get some damn pants!" Cid replied.

"Tifa?"

Startled from her musings, she turned her head to her name, raising an eyebrow in question as she did so. Cloud had pushed away from the counter and was now standing alertly in the already small walkway behind it. She gave him a small smile as he frowned in contemplation. "You all right?" He inquired, placing a hand on the counter to steady himself as he prepared to move for her side.

The room hushed instantly, waiting for Tifa's answer. She bobbed her head, neatly placed bangs slipping from behind her ears to obscure her face. "Yeah, just a little tired, that's all. It's been a really long day." She turned to Marlene who winced. "Speaking of which, it is way past bed time, and you two have school tomorrow," she chided.

"Okay, okay," Marlene mumbled, though her eyelids drooped considerably as she kissed her adopted father on the cheek and crawled across his lap. Her sluggish movements intensified as Yuffie jumped to her feet and met the little girl by the steps.

"I'll take them to bed!" The ninja chirped, putting a firm hand on Marlene's shoulder as both of them took each step as though it was climbing a mountain.

"Make sure they brush their teeth!" Cloud shouted from his position, warily watching the two of them nod in agreement before disappearing at the top of the stairs.

"I have a feeling they won't make it to bed as fast as we all think," Barret mused out loud.

The door suddenly reopened, silencing the quiet conversation and Shera delicately closed her umbrella before entering; placing the folded material against the nearest wall to allow it to dry. Cid instantly sat up, grinning wolfishly at his wife as she slicked her damp hair back with a hand.

"Sorry I'm late," she apologized. "Are the children already in bed?"

Tifa smirked, "Well, Yuffie is doing it… or at least we think she is." She politely walked over and helped pull in the large luggage in the doorway. "I'm really glad you're gonna watch the kids Shera, I really appreciate this."

"Oh don't worry about it hon. I'll take good care of them," Shera panted, slipping her arms out of her coat to hang on the rack along the wall for customers. "Well, I better go see what those three are doing upstairs." She neatly walked over, gave Cid a light kiss before heading up the stairway.

"What a woman," Cid sighed, staring at the steps his wife just climbed.

"Who's married to an idiot," Barret mumbled teasingly and Tifa quickly covered her mouth case any noises slipped past her tight lips. Cid didn't even look at the giant and merely raised his clenched hand to tell Barret to 'shove it'.

Tifa glanced at the open door and slowly walked out until she was standing underneath the small overhang in front of the door, admiring how the rain pooled around the edges of the canvas. Glancing back into the warmth, she smiled before closing the door behind her, ignoring the loud teasing between the three men.

Sighing heavily, she stepped out from safety and shuddered at the prickling raindrops against her skin. Her smile softened as she continued onward out into the deserted street, tempted to just stay out for the rest of the night. As the rain intensified, beating down upon everything including her, Tifa raised her hands and tilted her head back, feeling the small droplets race down with gravity along her skin, soaking her to the bone until her clothes and hair clung to her sickly. Her mouth automatically parted, rain somehow managing to slip past the gap and wet her tongue as her eyes closed in complete relaxation.

"It is cold tonight."

Her smile intensified. "Then why are you out here?" Her voice sounded so foreign in such a desolate place. It was if the rain demanded the silence to continue its sweet music against anything it landed on.

"I enjoy the cold," he answered with his baritone voice.

_Now here's a perfect opportunity. Sorry Vincent, you just stepped into a trap you created._ Lowering her head, she opened her eyes, blinking the raindrops from her eyelashes as she regarded the gunman standing before her. _How long has he been standing there?_ Slipping on the sweetest smile, she approached him; intensifying the sway of her hips until his blood eyes slipped downward before returning into her stare. Only when she could feel his body heat warming her tingling skin did she stop, gazing into him until he blinked.

"Are you sure you don't like to be hot?" She asked lowly, a hand reaching up to rest on his crimson shoulder.

He blinked before the fire danced in his eyes. "I already know I'm 'hot', especially with the looks you give to me."

Tifa felt her cheeks warm and her stomach dropped again. _How does he do that?! And I thought I had him. Wait, I can do this... Oh shit, no I can't._ Grimacing, Tifa stormed away a few feet before turning back at him.

"You're no fun Vincent Valentine," she growled. _Why can he get me so easily? Why am I so emotional? He can hold an expression for hours and I blush at every single sentence he speaks._

"I already know that too," He teased, closing the space between them with a few easy strides until they were once again facing each other, exchanging body heat until Tifa thought she was going to lose her mind. His scent, his voice, his looks… _damn hormones._ "What is it Tifa?" Vincent asked gently when she closed her eyes.

"Why did you give those statues?" It wasn't the answer she wanted to give, but she couldn't say 'yeah Vincent you are hot'.

He sighed, "Denzel told me he was lonely. Now he won't have to be." Vincent tilted his head, eyes focused on something out of this world. "Actually, I purchased them before I left town on my way to the manor. I am glad it all worked out the way it did, though. Now, I think it would be best if you headed back inside. You're shivering."

She hadn't even noticed the intense shudders and smiled at his concern. "I'll be okay."

"Come Tifa, we have a journey ahead. It would be wise to rest." His hand clenched around the edge of his cloak and he quickly raised it away from his side, staring at her reaction intently. Tifa bowed her head in defeat, how could he suddenly tease her and then offer her protection from the world? A low growl erupted from deep within his chest and he swooped forward; wrapping an arm around her shoulders and keeping the cloak around her form. Her shivering almost ceased on contact with his warm side as he ushered her back to Seventh Heaven; the only sounds were the clip of any metal on his body as he walked and his heavy breathing. Tifa smiled inwardly as he pulled her instinctively closer as an unrelenting wind blew for them, trying to push them away from their destination with stinging cold.

* * *

Tifa collapsed onto her bed and sighed until there was nothing left inside her lungs. Inhaling deeply, she rolled onto her back and tossed the damp towel back for the bathroom.

"Hey!"

Raising her head, she laughed as Cloud stumbled out of the bathroom with her towel hanging limply on his shoulder. He returned the favor and tossed it back, the wet cloth smacking her in the chest. Dumping the towel next in submission to her loss at the game, she warily watched Cloud pick his way amongst the gear until plopping his deadweight onto his own bed.

"Night Tifa," He mumbled before the light was vanquished.

Tifa smirked, "Night Cloud." But before her energy was truly spent, she reached over the side, snagged her objective and tossed it at him once her eyes adjusted to the night.

"Hey!" Cloud laughed.

* * *

Pressure intensified on her upper arms and Tifa groaned; staring out into the swirling mist before her body jostled. _What the…_ Eyes snapped open from an uneventful sleep to see a pair of amber eyes above her, and she instantly felt a burning hole at the bottom of her stomach. Inhaling for a raspy scream, a gold claw shot forth from the night and covered her mouth; only to cause her to struggle even more. Bucking underneath his now noticeable weight, her hands clenched automatically into fists as she clawed and punched at air; her heart beating until it pounded against her ribcage. Straddling her hips, the demon's other hand came forth and easily grasped both her rebelling hands to place them above her head; immobilizing all of her movement with weight she didn't even know he had. Hot breath blasted against her cheek and the outlines of the demon's face appeared as his lips lowered down to brush against the visible bite mark, causing an involuntarily shiver.

Dark wings lowered to come to rest on either side of them, hiding them from the rest of the world. Tifa whimpered into the claw, struggling to remain calm as Chaos nuzzled her neck with what she swore was a content sigh. As the wings closed in tighter against their sides, his claw was removed and was quickly replaced with his lips. Tifa's back arched and her eyes grew as her growled into her mouth. Trembling, she froze when the kiss became gentler than a furious bite to her lower lip; his tongue lazily slipping inside to pleasure hers. As he slowly moved away, his eyes lost their feral rage and Tifa swallowed down her own blood, her tongue gingerly running along the two bleeding impressions inside her bottom lip where his fangs met her flesh.

The staring contest continued as Tifa's mind began to accept his presence instead of screaming out of fear. There was something about his eyes that compelled her to bend for his will… something there to pity. Without thinking, Tifa wriggled her wrists and found that her hands were free from his iron grasp. Reaching up to touch his cheek, her face softened once she felt his hot skin underneath hers. While being entranced that she touched him, his eyes flickered closed and a low growl past his parted lips, still stained with her blood.

Closing her own eyes, a wave of relaxed content filled her… and she knew full well that she would be willing to lay there with him for the rest of her life… and just as suddenly as it came, it left as Chaos shuddered; causing her attention to be drawn back into reality. The demon silently convulsed back into Vincent, his hands clenching against her sides and tearing at her pajama top while his shuddering body struggling to maintain his weight above her lest she be crushed underneath him. His crimson orbs expressed all the fear as he blinked back at her, his breathing laden with fatigue.

"Tifa- I," He groaned quietly, quickly examining his surroundings before stumbling off her noiselessly. Vincent's gaze bore into her as she sat up, frightened for his well being as the crimson irises wavered. They suddenly disappeared and as Tifa stood to reach out for him… she was met with empty air that swished between her fingers. Collapsing back down onto her bed, she heard a gentle snore from Cloud and moaned. _Vincent…_

* * *

**A/N: So, what did we all think? Please leave a review, I love them! I'll update as soon as I can...**

**J**_  
_


	17. My Project

**A/N: Sorry for not updating in a while. Finished with "Junior Theme" though! Anyways, this might be a boring chapter, but it is important. Denzel and Vincent learn about their friendship and Vincent... (read to find out!!)

* * *

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Denzel watched with some amazement as one of his fellow classmates presented her own project with great enthusiasm; her hands waving about wildly as she told her tale. The person she had spent her time with was standing beside her, a burly type of a man with a long black beard and beady eyes. He stood tall and proud while the little girl pointed at him with a smile, her eyes sparkling with happiness while Denzel's teacher, Mrs. Rita, nodded her head vigorously from her seat behind her desk.

Many of the students had brought the person from their projects… okay, maybe all of them… except Denzel. Denzel knew that because of this, he wouldn't get a good grade, but that wasn't the issue. Vincent's life hanged in the balance… in this room. If Denzel even mentioned the famous gunslinger, his life would become an open book. Glancing down to his lap, his eyes darkened upon the leather bound book. He shouldn't have brought it… if someone found it then Vincent's past would be revealed.

"Denzel, you're up next," Mrs. Rita smiled warmly at him while his classmate walked back for her seat. Inhaling deeply, Denzel stood and boldly walked up to face the class, the only noise from the soles of his sneakers across the plastic tiles.

As he turned to face his classmates, Denzel swallowed heavily. _Remember what Tifa said: look at the tops of their heads instead of their eyes._

"My project," he began shakily as the book continuously moved in his hands. "Is about someone who went through a lot to become the man he is today." Now maybe the ground could just swallow him up. Half the class looked bored while the others sneered at him in realization that he had nothing for his project except a worn out book.

"Uh, Denzel, where is your project?" Mrs. Rita spoke up, her brow furrowed underneath her red bangs.

"I-I have a book," He whispered, feeling his cheeks burn as the other students snickered at him.

"Denzel, the project's purpose was to study a different lifestyle and become a pen pal or meet the person, not read a biography," his teacher said calmly, though her eyes flashed with annoyance.

Denzel always knew his teacher never appreciated him and he guessed it was because of who he lived with; the heroes of the planet, the ones who saved the world… twice. But now this was getting out of hand. He shouldn't be punished for something he didn't do.

"Alright," Mrs. Rita said impatiently. "Who did you do your project on?"

"I can't say," Denzel replied.

"Then how can I trust you that you did your project?" Mrs. Rita continued, her shrill voice echoing about the four walls. Denzel flinched. "I'm sorry Denzel, but you will get an F on this assignment."

"Let me finish!" Denzel shouted, stomping one foot angrily.

"Denzel! Office now, you know I do not take arguments inside my classroom. I shall request a call to Tifa Lockheart and explain your inappropriate behavior."

"You just hate me; no one else has to go to the office when they get in trouble!" Denzel pointed to the nearest classmate who blinked at him in surprise.

"Denzel! Enough! Office, now!" Mrs. Rita bellowed standing and knocking her chair over.

"Fine, there is no point in arguing anyways," he snarled, stomping out of the room with his book in hand.

Behind him, Mrs. Rita tugged on her blouse a little and blushed at all the adults sweetly. "I am terribly sorry for his behavior, but he is always a troublesome child."

With his lower lip trembling, Denzel ran into the other side of the hallway, his shoulder colliding with the yellow lockers. As he quickly picked up his pace into a gallop for the office, tears threatened to spill down his face as he ran, his footsteps traveling down the hallway faster than he, himself.

Skidding around the corner, Denzel blinked as his feet slipped to a halt. In front of him stood Vincent Valentine, his cloak hiding the sides of his body (most likely to the fact that Cerberus would not be welcome in a school) and his cold eyes eyeing Denzel with some amusement. "Vincent? What are you doing here?" He demanded, his heart thumping in his chest.

"I overheard Shera during the early morning hours that your project would be presented today. So, while the others rode ahead this morning, I stayed behind. Are you all right?" He knelt to one knee and propped his human hand on the other.

"I'm okay, just school problems," Denzel sniffled. "I got an F on my project anyways. You should go back to my mission."

"Denzel, you are one of my missions. I understand that all the information you learned with the journal and with me is difficult to believe, but just give it time. I have been known to be silent, but I cannot get close to many people."

"You're telling me this in a school hallway," Denzel snorted.

"Because I could not tell you earlier; there was no time. I know that Cloud hurt you and I don't want to hurt you any further. So, let us pull some old Turk tricks." Denzel tilted his head. Vincent was actually being social for once.

"Why are you being so nice to me?" Denzel blurted, frowning as Vincent shifted briefly.

"Some… events have occurred and I don't know when I shall see you next," he replied softly, eyes darting to the floor.

"You mean with Nanaki's disappearance?"

"That and more. Some things that are not ready to be revealed. Do you understand?"

"Yeah," Denzel hesitated before jumping forward to wrap his arms around the cowl of Vincent's cloak, startling the gunman back a little before resting silently in Denzel's hold. "Thank you Vincent. I- I don't know what I'd do without you. What if you didn't catch me that night?" Pulling away, he rubbed his eyes before grinning while Vincent stood.

"I believe that your grade shall change Denzel," Vincent gave a smirk as they walked down the hallway.

* * *

Mrs. Rita sighed as another student walked back to his seat with a smile. As she was about to call forth another presentation the door opened and she frowned at Denzel. "I thought I told you to go to the office," she growled.

"I've come to present my project," He said boldly.

"Oh really? Denzel, I told you, no more books!"

"And I believe that I am not a book." A demon with a pair of wings tight against him appeared behind the young boy, yellow eyes burning a hole right through her heart. Mrs. Rita gasped while everyone whispered.

"Chaos?" She managed to stammer as they entered the room.

"I did my project on Chaos," Denzel continued with a grin while the demon stood protectively behind him.

Mrs. Rita began to reach for her phone, but the sound of snapping canvas startled her movements and she recoiled as if she had been bitten. Chaos' wings readjusted themselves on his back as he stared at her. "If I wanted to harm you, I would have done so already." Shaking, she sat back down while students leaned forward with awe.

"Are there any questions?" Denzel managed, surprised that he had gained all of his classmates' attention. All the hands in the room raised. "Uh…" the boy trailed while behind him, Chaos rumbled with a chuckle.

* * *

Within his heart, the true demon shook with annoyance. If he wanted to make a change in his life he would have to take one step at a time and Denzel would be his first. The boy had been through a lot and apparently had no respect from both his teacher and his classmates. He didn't want Denzel to become lonely and heartless like he was… no one deserved it. Tifa had been working hard to open him up and was succeeding to a point, until last night.

All morning they had been avoiding each other. Though that didn't stop him from observing her move about; she was sore and with her short shirt, he could see the bruises along her sides Chaos had caused during his late night meeting. It was horrible to watch and Vincent felt absolutely humiliated. Yuffie had questioned the martial artist about the injuries, but she just shrugged him off. It wouldn't be long before the whole team found out about Chaos' claim.

He shuddered and blinked a few times while Denzel answered appropriate questions; questions that weren't too revealing. _I love her… I understand now… _

* * *

**A/N: The next chapter will have a little more action and of course more VincentXTifa! Vincent just needed some time to organize his thoughts with Denzel. If Vincent is a little OOC, I'm really sorry about it and I'll try to fix it in the next chapter. He's just going through some changes. XD**

**Please leave a review, I love them!**

**J**


	18. The Battle With A Friend

Tifa stared at the worn leather on the back of the chocobo trailing behind hers, the place where Vincent _should_ have been… but he wasn't. After a very quiet breakfast, the dear gunslinger had informed everyone that he had a few errands to run and would meet them along the road. Tifa wanted to bash some sense into him and then duck tape him back together again. Because of his 'errands', she had no riding partner for emergency purposes. Here she was, at the end of the group with a rider-less chocobo who was more than happy to squawk in pleasure at the lesser load.

Ahead of her, rode Cid and Yuffie, one of the worst possible partner combinations Cloud could have thought up. They had been on the road for a few hours and already the two of them had entered an ear splitting shout-off, the beginning of the argument forgotten. Tifa dropped her reins onto the saddle horn to rub her temples, feeling the thump of her heart against her brain.

"I said blue dammit!" Yuffie screeched for the hundredth time, yanking on the reins to draw in closer to Cid. The pilot leaned closer to her still until they were almost nose to nose, both their faces scrunched with anger. The cigarette in Cid's tightly clamped lips wiggled as his teeth chewed the end inside.

"Green, don't argue with me," he growled back, smoke swirling about him as he exhaled.

"Blue!" She insisted, leaning closer to his face though her chocobo struggled to regain some space between her and Cid.

"Bluish-green, now end it!" Barret bellowed from the lead next to Cloud, spinning in his saddle to glare at the two of them.

"My eyes are not bluish-green," Cid snorted.

"Yes they are now shut up!" The giant snarled before facing the front of his mount again, his shoulders taunt as the bickering began all over again.

Tifa shook her head and growled as her bangs danced into her face, only to be pushed back behind her ear. Her mount suddenly jumped to a halt underneath her and she frowned, glancing up to the retreating forms of her teammates as they continued onward.

The underbrush to her left rustled, causing weak leaves to flutter to the ground. Instinctively, Tifa stiffened in the saddle, prepared to urge her chocobo onward if danger arose. Squinting into the shadows, Tifa scanned the area with a frown. "Vincent?" She asked hesitantly, half expecting him to emerge as Chaos from the darkness. A growl was the reply and the bushes shook more violently.

"This isn't funny Mr. Valentine," she hissed, glancing briefly to the leaving team, Cid's voice still echoing to her. In that brief moment in time, her chocobo suddenly lunged sideways, cawing pitifully as it fell onto its side, pinning Tifa's leg underneath. Crying out in surprise, Tifa yanked on the reins while looking towards the bushes. Instead, she was met with an orange flash as Nanaki jumped onto the trail… or more like it, on her mount. The large yellow bird struggled and cried as Nanaki glared emptily at Tifa, his large talons digging into bright feathers for the tender flesh underneath.

"Red?" Tifa choked, her heart beating in her brain as Nanaki's upper lip curled into a ravaged snarl while saliva dripped slowly off his lips. The sharp fangs snapped forward into the chocobo's neck; sinking deep until the frantic cries became strangled coughs. All the while, Tifa struggled in her saddle, yanking her foot free from the stirrup to kick for Nanaki's face. The orange cat yanked back from the attack, shredding tendons and flesh with him. Blood poured from the large gaping hole in the chocobo's neck, splattering Tifa and everything else. The carcass' weight lying heavily on Tifa's right leg only caused more problems as Nanaki, thoroughly furious began the lazy gait for her, his shoulder blades rolling underneath a flab of skin.

Tifa blinked and a blur of silver slid past between her and Nanaki, sinking deep into the dirt in front of the chocobo's breast. Nanaki once again jumped back, his red muzzle twitching into a growl.

Following the trail of the silver blade, Cloud stood, tense and ready for battle. Once again raising his large blade to hover readily in the air, his blue eyes flashed as Nanaki lunged for Cloud instead, claws poised out in front of his cat-like body to shred Cloud's body apart. The blade turned sideways, prepared to take a blow as Cloud seemed to pull back in slow motion. Instead, a wooden staff struck Nanaki in the side, sending the orange being across the dirt road into a tree. The sound was a sickening crunch as the tree was hit and Nanaki crumpled to the ground in a heap with his four limbs sprawled about him.

"Try that on for size you son of a bitch!" Cid hooted with a smirk, pulling his staff closer to his body.

"What's going on with him?" Yuffie hollered as she too joined Cloud in preparation to fight their comrade. Though her face was scrunched with worry, her stance betrayed her fear. Tifa, however, was still trapped underneath pounds of fresh chocobo meat and as she fought to free her foot from the trapped stirrup, the more jammed she became.

"I'm not sure, but don't try to hurt him. Defend, but do not attack," Cloud ordered, swinging his sword briefly before poising it again, his gloved hands tightening against the thick handle.

Barret slid in next to Yuffie, his metal arm screeching into the machine gun. He aimed it at Nanaki, who was already getting to his feet. Shaking his hide, he made a slow u-turn to approach them.

"Tifa, ya all right?" the giant bellowed, glancing at her before a snarl startled the whole group into battle mode.

"Yeah," she coughed out, wincing as she attempted to push away from the chocobo.

Nanaki crouched low as his padded feet flattened on the ground, black claws curling out from his fur. "Yuffie, try and get Tifa out, we'll distract Red," Cloud shouted; his eyes trailing back and forth as Nanaki began to pace, his fire tipped tail slashing against the air as if it was another enemy.

"Damn Red, what's gotten inside that thick skull of yours?" Cid complained, spinning his staff over his head. The fur on Nanaki's back bristled at the sudden movement and the black pits for eyes shifted towards the staff with burning hatred.

Tifa tried to sit up, her eyes widening at the attention on Nanaki's face. "Look out!" she cried, her voice breaking with her words. Nanaki leaped forward over the dead chocobo for Cid. Not even the foul mouthed pilot could make a move as Nanaki barreled into him, the force knocking the two to the ground in a frantic roll.

"Shit!" came the muffled grunt as they finally stopped their stomach bouncing ride with Nanaki standing on top with the staff wedged between his jaws. A piece of wood was the only thing keeping Cid alive… The muscles in the pilot's arms tensed as Nanaki growled through the staff.

"Hold on Highwind!" Barret bellowed, charging forward with his arm poised behind him. With a shout, his metal arm slammed into Nanaki, once again sending the angry creature away until he was lying dazed on his side.

Those brief few moments allowed Cid to scramble to his feet, but blood poured from gashes along his arms and torso where Nanaki braced himself with his claws. He winced before bending down to where his staff laid.

"Red, knock it off!" Barret shouted, his face scrunched with fury. The claw marks on Cid's shoulders continued to bleed profusely until he looked as if he was wearing red sleeves, though he wore a sleeveless shirt.

"Tifa, try it now!" Yuffie grunted as she struggled with the body of her mount. Her grey eyes were focused on Nanaki who was already slinking his way back for them and she tried even harder. Tifa once again planted her palms against the pebbled ground and tried to drag herself away.

"My foot is stuck!" She hissed, feeling the top of her stirrup bang into her boot as she tried to move. Her teeth began to ache as her jaw clenched with frustration.

"Tifa! Look out!" Cloud cried, jumping to stand in front of the two women to block the bounding Nanaki, the side of his sword preventing the cat from reaching them. Teeth clanged against the steel as large jaws clamped around the sword, gnawing excitedly on the cold metal. "Barret, help Yuffie and Cid, you stay out of this before you bleed to death," Cloud grunted as he tugged against his sword while Nanaki yanked back.

"You stay out of my life Gel-Head," Cid snapped back, his chin tucking down so he could examine the wounds along his thin body.

"Fine, Yuffie, handle Mr. Stubborn Ass and fix him up. I'll take care of Tifa," Barret growled. Yuffie opened her mouth to argue, but as Cloud continued to play 'tug of war' with their former comrade, her face darkened and she rushed over to go argue and possibly help the injured pilot.

Tifa's attention was soon drawn elsewhere as Barret hefted the carcass off Tifa's body, allowing her to shake free from bondage. "Duck!" Cloud's cry came and everyone spun to look. The swordsman flew smack into Barret's chest, knocking both of them to the ground in a pile of sprained limbs and twisted bodies.

Tifa gathered herself and jumped to her feet, balancing on her heels before defiantly facing the oncoming menace. Nanaki seemed to smirk at her as he approached. Besides Yuffie, Tifa was the only one on her feet and uninjured. The orange cat crouched before lunging, seeming to hover in mid flight before Tifa's view was obscured by a black form that shook up the loose gravel around her. The large body braced for the onslaught and gold heels dug deep into the earth as Nanaki's weight landed into his chest. Two crimson wings flexed to help slow the force while he leaned forward with Nanaki fighting in front of him. Tifa's breath halted in her throat as Chaos spun to face her with Nanaki's jaws wrapped firmly around his gold claw.

A roar which shook her very soul erupted from his chest while he tossed his arm away; allowing Nanaki to lose his grasp and send his poor body into the trees. The demon instantly crouched, his upper lips curling to express his hidden fangs.

"Vincent," Tifa whispered, awestruck that he was already Chaos.

"Holy shit," Cid breathed in response. Yuffie was frozen in place in front of him, her neck twisted to the side to catch a glimpse of the demon while her whole body seemed frozen in place.

Cloud and Barret got to their feet slowly, but once standing were ready to fight once more, but as they approached to stand beside the demon, Chaos growled in warning. Death Penalty materialized into his outstretched hand before his attention was drawn to Nanaki.

"Don't hurt him Vince. We don't know what's wrong with him yet," Barret groaned, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Cloud," Tifa observed, her whole body trembling. "You're bleeding."

"I'll live," he snorted.

Nanaki shook himself after standing, dust flying off his fur and floating through the sunlight. Unlike the others, Chaos charged; slamming his own body weight into their poor comrade. The demon roared again as Nanaki managed to sink his teeth into his right arm, the cat shaking his head in attempts to rip the arm off the demon.

Flesh sliced and blood oozed from new wounds as Chaos spread his wings and took flight with Nanaki still chewing anxiously on his open flesh wound. His heavy wing beats echoed around them as the wind gushed downward, striking the rest of the team in their faces, burning their eyes and forcing them to turn away.

"Vincent!" Tifa cried, eyes following his ascent.

"What part of 'don't hurt him' did you not understand?" Barret shouted as Chaos continued to swoop about. High above the ground, he was a mere dot in the sky… but Tifa could fell the action as though he was right beside her. His pain, anger, and even fear washed over her as though she was experiencing the fight hurtling hundreds of feet above her head.

Closing her eyes, she calmly exhaled before listening to the rustling leaves. The stones dug deep into her palms as she leaned more weight onto them, raising her head to the sun. As if Fenrir drove into her throbbing skull, she was knocked onto her back, the sudden force taking the air from her lungs.

_Cloud's voice calling her name seemed as though he was across the country instead of right by her side. In fact, Tifa didn't feel a connection to even herself as she floated amongst the grey clouds swirling with blackness. On her neck, the bite burned as if she was being branded by the fires of the Planet, but no sound escaped her lips as she continued through the haze._

_"Please, don't hurt him," she cried into the darkness, though her voice continued to elude her. Instead, her plea came out in a mixture of frantic colors swirling about her and changing the surrounding mist into a rainbow._

_Ahead, a shadowy figure appeared, the identity obscured by the thick fog, now swirling in different hues of blues and greens. A pair of golden eyes attached to the figure, narrowed. "As you wish," came the smooth reply. The colors swirled into black and white._

_Tifa's heart throbbed inside her chest as she fought to run to the figure, gears working frantically inside her head. It was Vincent, but how did she end up here? Was she dead?_

_Black, cold arms from bodies unseen snaked around her form and pulled her away from the disappearing figure towards the light. She struggled furiously, slashing out at nothing while the arms tightened around her still until each breath was labored. "Time to go back," the smooth voice soothed. "I will handle everything. I _will_ protect you. Promise..."_

As her eyes snapped open, she frowned at Cloud's shadowed face bent over hers. "Hi," she croaked, her arms bending to support her weight into a sitting position. Cloud sat back onto his heels to study her intently.

"There's something you're not telling us," he said gravely.

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**A/N: Please leave a review!!**


	19. Vincent's Dying Agony

**A/N: Wow, sorry for the lack of update. Not only has my life been going down the drain recently, but this chapter was really, really hard to compose. Though now I am proud of it. The next chapter should be a little faster in getting up since I feel like I'm on a roll right about now. Anyways, please enjoy and let me know your thoughts afterwards. They are really appreaciated!

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"This is a load of bullshit!" Cid complained, more profanities slipping from his lips as Yuffie growled in attempts to cure the pilot.

Tifa quickly avoided Cloud's accusing gaze and examined the dead chocobo. "So… how are we going to travel now?" She questioned, flinching as the whole group fell into silence.

"Two people are going to have to ride together," Cloud snorted, his sword crackling over rocks as he stood with one hand firmly wrapped around the handle. Tifa began to wonder if it was permanently glued there.

"I call dibs on my own chocobo!" Yuffie shouted, her bright eyes once again regaining their sparkle briefly before her attention swiftly returned to a fidgeting Cid. "Will you stand still! You're worse than a five year old during bath time!"

The bickering, Tifa had to admit, was a relief. The shock of the initial attack had frightened all of them and the mission had become even more serious. Why had Nanaki attacked? Barret's hulking form lumbered over to where the chocobos stood, huddling together on one side of the road with hazel eyes focused on their fallen friend. The rustling of feathers was the only occasional noise caused by the yellow birds while heads rested on stiff necks.

"I wonder where Vince wandered off to," Barret noted in a soothing voice as he attempted to get close to the squabbling birds.

"Yeah, he and I need to talk," Cloud nodded, his blonde head rising for the endless blue with the sun caressing his face. Tifa flinched inwardly at his tone and one hand instinctively went for the hidden bite mark underneath her shirt. "Let's continue moving, I don't want to fight anyone else today," Cloud continued. "And a dead chocobo might attract unwanted visitors."

"I concur!" Yuffie piped up, bloodied palms madly wiping along her small shorts as Cid fiddled with the white bandages along his arms. The rough pilot looked pale and the more he played with the bandages, the more agitated he became until his hands were slashing the air absentmindedly. Barret, on the other hand, had taken full control of the flustered birds and were leading them back to the group, fully aware that they were frightened of their dead companion.

"Come on then," he said softly, his large hand tightening on the reins as the yellow birds struggled to bolt.

"But what about Vincent?" Tifa questioned, avoiding the icy stare Cloud gave her.

"He'll come around," the blonde returned. He spun and strode over to the chocobos, his frustration rising as he jumped into the saddle of the lead mount.

"Tifa, you can take Vince's mount since he's not here," Barret offered, holding out strands of leather toward her.

Getting to her feet, Tifa rubbed her palms against her shorts before taking the reins gratefully. Once comfortably situated, she watched with feigned amusement as Barret argued with a flustered Cid.

"For the Lifestream's sake, let me at least pick you up," Barret grumbled, opening his arms helpfully.

Cid glared daggers at the giant, "You've got to be kiddin'."

"I ain't kiddin'. Now come on." With one swift motion, the enraged pilot was struggling in Barret's arms.

"Oh Cid, don't be such a pain in the ass," Yuffie added as she landed neatly in her saddle, glaring at them as if she was the mother of a troublesome brood.

With a grunt, Cid landed in his saddle, Barret quickly moving away before the pilot could kick him. "I'm not being a pain in the ass," he snapped before riding on, his lower jaw working furiously though no words escaped.

"Come on, you guys are taking forever," Cloud shouted over his shoulder before riding on.

"I ain't taking forever," Barret mumbled back before urging his own mount after him.

Tifa waited patiently while everyone began to follow the tense blonde for the horizon. Glancing back, she eyed the dead chocobo before listening to the breeze shake the leaves. "Oh Vincent, where are you?" She whispered worriedly, before her tongue clicked against the roof of her mouth and she left it all behind her.

* * *

His wings burned with each wing beat, the added weight a burden he would prefer to remove. His burdened weight growled and claws dug deep into his flesh, ripping new wounds into his hide. Chaos hissed and spun in flight, closing his wings and allowing gravity to send them down for the ground. Unlike his intended plan, Nanaki refused to let go as the air whipped around them.

_'Don't hurt him!'_

"For her," he groaned before the plan went truly into action. In a swirl of darkness, Chaos' power left and the nearly weightless Vincent compared to the demon form dropped even faster through the whistling air. Nanaki growled and his jaw opened as Vincent's claw shrunk to equalize to his body.

Vincent's surroundings were easily doused in crimson as he dove as the intangible cloak. Nanaki continued to dive even faster than the gunman; his large paws swiping at air to balance himself.

Choking up blood, Vincent blinked away red tears before colliding head on with the orange cat. Their plummet slowed instantly as Vincent struggled to hover with the little energy he had left while Nanaki continued to try and rip his body apart.

Branches snapped and colors managed to reappear into his world as they met the planet almost head first. With a sickening crunch, Vincent's battered body struck the uneven ground; twigs and stones digging into his face and open wounds as he tumbled to a halt amongst swirling roots.

As his vision danced, his mind screamed in agony as each part of his body reported abuse. Blinking, Vincent twitched briefly before he used his elbow as leverage. Wincing as his vision liquidized temporarily, he barely clung onto consciousness; blackness pooling at the corners of his vision.

A whine startled him to his feet which he soon regretted. His legs felt like thin, unstable sticks holding up dead weight. Broken fingers came to rest over Cerberus tucked inside its holster, within easy use though how his fingers would work was beyond his knowledge.

Nanaki's torn form slowly came into view as the orange creature limped out from behind a thick trunk. Black eyes stared into him before Nanaki bounded away on a straggly gait. With a swish of his tail, he disappeared within the bushes, leaving red stains as he went.

His Turk side remained active though the rest of him desired a time-out. Crimson orbs narrowed at the shadows, straining his senses case it was a surprise attack. Minutes passed yet nothing came for him. Exhaling the puff of air he had been holding his eyes rose for the shaking leaves above him.

"Time to go," he whispered encouragement to himself. Summoning up the energy he had left, he winced before his vision became read once again. The leaves burst from their hinges as Vincent tore his way upward to reach the clear blue sky.

It took several minutes for him to find the road, which was difficult to see through eyes burning with blood. Scanning the approaching ground, he soon came upon the group. They were going quite slow and all had grim frowns glued to their faces.

"Tifa," Vincent shuddered, exhaustion crashing down upon him until his body trembled with fatigue. She was the only one who could help him. Not only did Chaos trust her with more than expected desire, but she had seen more of Vincent Valentine than anyone else. His scars… his pain… his emotions.

He needed help, but the fear of being seen in such a state held him at bay. A small stream of blood trickled from a thick gash across one temple to melt with his red cloak. He needed help… before he died in agony.

Diving down, he silently swirled behind the chocobos before his body made the decision for him. In a brief moment his energy was spent and he was left, staggering in the middle of a dirt road with blood flowing down with gravity to pool at his feet.

Choking on his own blood until it dribbled past his lips with clear bubbles of spit, he helplessly watched as the team continued their trek forward. "Tifa," he whispered again. With a growl, his eyes intensified in their glow for a brief moment. It was the last of his strength, for at the last second of glow, his body stumbled backwards until his bruised spine met the compacted dirt with a thud. His chest continued heaving shakily while he struggled to breathe blood soaked air.

* * *

"Cloud, where are we going anyways?" Cid sighed, averting his eyes down to his arms.

"To Reno."

"And he knows we're comin'?"

"Yes, I called him."

Yuffie turned to look at the back of the blonde's head. "So if we could have just called him, why are we on the road?"

"Because he insisted," Cloud readily replied.

The young ninja grunted. Tifa's eyes rolled at the two of them. Now wasn't the time to be full of billions of questions. Her mind went for Vincent… where was he? He should be at her side by now giving a crude remark or other.

The bite. Tifa's hand instinctively rushed up to it, wincing as an invisible hammer pounded its way into her neck. "Vincent," she whispered, jerking around in the saddle and a pool of red fabric met her frightened gaze.

"Yuffie! Find your remaining material!" she cried, yanking on the reins to force her mount into a spin.

Without waiting for her chocobo to slow to a halt, she jumped out of the saddle while her chocobo rushed past to slow further down the road. "Vincent!" Tifa shouted, kneeling beside him; her bare calves soaking in his blood as she looked at his closed eyes. Rips in his uniform continued to leak while his chest rose lightly to intake a small breath.

Behind her, the feet of more chocobos pounded as the team reached them. "Vince, Vincent!" Tifa continued her plea, her eyes filling up with frightened tears.

His pale eyelids suddenly snapped open to reveal hidden… glowing red? Tifa leaned back, her throat quickly becoming the driest thing known to man. "Chaos," she gasped, struggling to her feet as his broken body convulsed.

"Oh shit," Cid mumbled as he dismounted, eyes widening at the sickening crunch followed by two large wings busting from hidden shoulder blades.

"Yuffie, get these chocobos out of here!" Cloud ordered, his sword sliding from its sheath with a hiss.

Tifa spun to him. "He's not going to hurt us! He's got the material to help him control it!"

"I've been through enough for one day. I'm not taking any chances!" Cloud snapped back, readying the handle in his hands.

Tifa swallowed and slowly looked back to the transformation in progress. Cloud was right. Vincent was becoming uncontrollable and Chaos had more influence on the gunslinger than anyone thought… especially since it was she who received the late night visit from the demon. Somehow, she felt partly to blame for his current state. If only she hadn't frozen there on the battlefield when he arrived. She could have helped him stop Nanaki from his rampage. Instead, he had saved all of their lives and sacrificed his own.

In a swirl of black mist, Vincent finished the alteration and continued to wiggle across the blood soaked dirt. Tifa's hands clenched into fists, her nails digging into her palms until they bled.

Golden eyes suddenly snapped open and focused on her. Tifa had half expected him to kill them all within rage; instead he looked at her almost helplessly. To her surprise, her heart called out to him. She wanted to be the one to heal his wounds. She wanted to be the one to be there to help him when he shuddered from pain. She wanted to be there to give him her all just as he had given his.

"Oh, Vince," she whispered softly.

His bloodied lip curled and with a roar, he leaped forward and grasped her arms before taking off. Tifa screamed as the land flew underneath them at neck breaking speeds while Cloud's cries of fury quickly disappeared behind them with a rush of air. Above her dangling body, Chaos grasped her wrists. His wings flapped with disorganization and as Tifa calmed down enough to think, she came to realize that he labored for each breath and blood dripped around her from unhealed wounds. He was struggling.

A gurgle spewed from his throat before Tifa's nightmare worsened. His wings crumpled.

Their drop was short, but defiantly not sweet. Tifa didn't even have a chance to cry out. But when she expected death, or a very, very painful landing, it didn't come. Instead, the metal claw and hand tightened their hold on her wrists. Both the wind and branches battered her as they continued through the trees. Just as she thought it would never end, their drop halted in an instant. Opening one eye, she looked around to notice she was dangling off a very thick branch of a tree. Looking up then, she saw Chaos squatting with his feet spread for balance as he hung onto her.

His eyes flashed and with a small grunt, he pulled upwards; taking her away from a perilous drop. Only when she was seated next to him did she even dare to breath. When she did, however, each inhale was a strangled gasp as the details of the frightening fall struck her full force.

"What is going on?" She managed between sobs of air.

Chaos swayed beside her, his eyelids dropping. It didn't take long for him to reappear form a flash of darkness as Vincent Valentine. Tifa's hands instinctively reached forward to grip onto his shoulder before his trembling body made its own plummet. Grasping onto him in fear, she leaned towards him to allow his body weight to use her for support, ushering his head against his chest as if he were a child.

"Oh Vincent," she hushed, her free hand roaming his chest and sides to examine the bleeding wounds.

"Tifa," he croaked in response, his head rising slowly to look at her. "I… can't… anymore."

"Yes you can," she said firmly, sounding braver than she felt. "I'm with you every single step of the way. I'll help you." His eyes betrayed him and fear sprinkled into the red. Tifa stared at him worriedly. He was giving up. Vincent Valentine wasn't supposed to give up. He suddenly drooped forward again and Tifa carefully ushered him into her embrace, trying to will life into his fading from.

"You can't leave me Vince, not now," she continued, carefully raising his head. He was barely with her, half lidded eyes blinking weakly. "You. Just. Can't." she ordered. Tilting her head she moved forward, grasping his lips with hers. She could taste blood, and it was something she didn't want to see with him. He barely flinched as she moved away after a gentle nuzzle with her nose. "I'll help you Vince," she vowed once more before she pushed him so his back leaned into the trunk of the tree. His body instantly sagged.

Sighing, she straddled the branch in front of him before she unbuckled the cloak from his shoulders. With slender fingers she found the red stained zipper and pulled down, the groan as the two metal folds separated the only noise besides his heavy breathing. As his leather vest fell away from his chest, Tifa winced in sorrow at the sight. Without any medical supplies, this was going to become difficult, but she had fared in worse conditions before. She had to, or else Vincent wasn't going to be with her much longer.

As her hands sneaked underneath the sides of the vest to examine her work, he cringed. So he was with her… if not for a little more. He had saved her life… twice… now it was time to return the favor. If only time was on her side…

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**A/N: So what did we think? Good, bad, just downright horrible? Review Please!**

**Oh, and one more thing, I will write aVincent Valentine story for the one who gives the 190th review. I will personally email the winner and ask for a requested story plot/pairings and things that want to be seen, so keep an eye out! One, it will help me get out of a very thick writers block, and two it might be fun! So, good luck!**

**J**


	20. Vincent's Journey

**A/N: And here's another update! Congradulations to Erin Ashlyn who won the story. If anyone is interested, I did post the first chapter. If anyone is interested, the title is "His Turk Ways" and if you like this story, you will certainly like the new one. Now, enough of my rambling and onto the story!**

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Vincent slowly opened his eyes, blinking at the sudden adjustment from darkness to bright white. Underneath his gauntleted boots laid a sea of white flowers with green leaves occasionally peaking through. Bending down to one knee, he let his gloved fingers gracefully run over the dipped petal, the flower bobbing in response. A small breeze picked up, enough to shake the white treasures and force a few loose petals into the air. The white velvet swirled about him for a moment before disappearing into the never ending white. Grunting, Vincent stood; overpowered by the sweet perfume. 

"Good to see you Vincent Valentine," a voice chimed, fading just as the breeze.

The gunslinger spun, half expecting the person to be standing behind him. It was then that he noticed the natural heaviness around his face was gone. Glancing down to eye his body, Vincent shuddered at the awareness without his famous cloak around his neck. He felt bare, naked without it. Yet here, in this never ending field of flowers, he barely thought about searching for it. As he took a closer inspection of himself, not only was his cloak gone, but his vest had opened up as well, exposing the hidden flesh. Amongst the old pearl scars were new gashes however. Even after a few seconds of prodding the slashed tissue, blood still refused to gush forth. He could see in some areas even, the tangled muscle and occasional bone, but there was no pain.

_"Vincent!"_ another feminine voice echoed around him. Unlike the first, this one was upset, and fearful.

Reaching up to rub his temple, Vincent clutched his head. Grimacing he dropped to his knees as the frantic female voice continued to cry around him. "Get out," he moaned, slapping his forehead feverishly in attempts to drive the voice away. "Get out!"

The voice vanished and Vincent was left kneeling in flowers with his head clutched in his hands. As his breathing slowed, he raised his head. A lone tear streaked down his face as he calmed down enough to think properly. This wasn't a dream, this wasn't reality either. He was dead.

"So," came the light hearted voice once again. "Why have you come?"

Vincent glanced over his shoulder, shaking hands lowering to rest atop his thighs. His eyes narrowed while scanning the peaceful scenery. Farther out into the distance, he caught a glimpse of pink against the white and tensed considerably. "Aerith," he acknowledged. Within a blink, the darkened shadow of her form disappeared from his view.

"Yes," came the cheerful reply.

Returning to face ahead of him, Vincent leaned back a little. He refused to leave where he sat, yet his eyes constantly roved the area in search of the flower girl.

"You haven't answered my question."

The gunman jumped a little, twisting his head to the side to stare into a pink skirt. As his head rose, he could feel his throat tighten into a squeeze. "Am I dead?" he choked out once he met green eyes.

"Are you?" she laughed.

_"Vincent… please!"_

Again, another woman's voice cried with the occasional breeze. This time, Vincent ignored it and kept his focus on Aerith's gentle face. The flower girl tilted her head. "The question is, do you want to be? Be free from your demons and have eternal peace. Is that something you want? Or is it a desire of the past?" Her hand rose to point to where he had seen her figure in the light. "If you walk that way, you will be one again with the Lifestream." Aerith then turned toward the opposite direction, "And if you go that way, you shall find two beings waiting for you."

Vincent followed her intended gaze, wincing at her direction. Ahead laid an expanse of darkness; the light and dark clashing with each other in occasional flashes of grey. As the two different mists swirled about each other with intense energy, Vincent shuddered.

"I have a choice?" he questioned, glancing back towards Aerith.

She gave him a side long glance. "You are immortal because of the demon you own."

"Then why am I here?" He snapped roughly. His body continued to shake violently while his stomach flipped on a regular basis.

Aerith's lips twitched into a smile and a chimed laugh followed. "Because you have a choice." Vincent frowned and her smile weakened. "Make a decision Vincent…"

"Do you miss him?" He interrupted.

The flower girl sighed heavily, the smile truly gone. "I do, but do not pity me Vincent Valentine. It is peaceful here and what had to be done was done. I do not regret." Aerith nodded towards the conflicting colors. "She's trying to save your life."

"I know. I betrayed her," Vincent said softly, bowing his head in defeat.

"What?!" Aerith turned towards him.

"I have not given her my trust."

"I cannot enter matters like that anymore Vince," she sighed. "I want to help you, but I can't. It's up to you. When you're ready, you will know what to do."

Vincent winced. Aerith, however, nodded towards the white. "Lucrecia is waiting for you."

"Lucrecia?" Vincent's mind felt absolutely useless. He was dead, but had a choice. Lucrecia, the woman he had loved, was waiting for him and yet Tifa was fighting for his life.

Groaning to his feet, Vincent stared coldly at Aerith. "Tell Lucrecia to stop waiting. I'm not coming back," he spat before shooting past the flower girl. With every step he took for the darkened horizon, the louder his heartbeat became until it pounded in his chest with life and vigor.

"Vincent!"

His metal clad boots ripped up the flowers as he skidded to a halt. Aerith was staring at him intently, though it wasn't cruel. She pointed past him and waited until he tore his eyes away from her. Amongst the darkness stood Chaos. The demon shifted on his feet before stretching his wings impatiently. The true Chaos. Not Vincent Valentine in demon form, but the true, angry demon. It was waiting.

"The closer you come to him, the more pain! You are entering life again and it will not be an enjoyable trip," Aerith warned loudly.

"Tell me an example of an enjoyable trip," Vincent snorted dryly. "I will not leave Tifa and repeat what Lucrecia did to me."

Aerith's lips suddenly rose into a fond smile. "Good Vincent," she said softly, though the gunman could hear every word. "Now go," she waved him on.

Vincent didn't need anymore encouragement.

Spinning on his heel, he charged for Chaos. The demon gave a defiant smirk before hiding behind the swirling mist. The gunslinger, however, faltered. Slowing down, he shuddered at the sudden intensity of pain. Looking down, he swallowed back disgust at the sight of oozing wounds, dark red blood trickling downward to drip onto the flower petals. With his head ringing, he continued onward… through the gap of grey and into black.

"You look troubled."

His voice, if not a little darker. Looking to his left as he ran along, a flash of deep red caught his eye. Golden orbs sparkled at him knowingly as a body came into view. It was Chaos, running along side with his wings spread out behind him. "Come on Vincent Valentine, or have you grown weak in your old age?"

"Didn't know something like you had a sense of humor," Vincent mumbled heavily, focusing on what laid ahead instead of the insults.

"If you can recall, I do to enjoy good humor. You just lack all fun in general."

"Of course," Vincent said dryly. "You're amusement is watching someone die a slow death."

"That's always fun," the demon agreed.

"So you want to explain to me why you're here?"

"Thought you could use a pair of wings?" The ruby flesh snapped like opening a blanket as encouragement.

"Never thought you'd be willing to help."

"I prefer not to, but without you, I must return to the Lifestream and protect it. With you, I seem to go on adventures every damn day. What would you rather do?" Chaos growled.

"This is perfect. I am dead and finally meeting you face to face," Vincent hissed.

"It's a special moment."

"Special indeed."

Chaos glanced at him. "Oh Valentine, you're taking forever!" The demon instantly shifted direction for him and spread his wings.

By that time, Vincent was groaning with pain though he wouldn't stop his pace. Tifa… Tifa was what drove him on to the brink of insanity to get back to the world. He needed her and she needed him. Blood seeped through his clothes as he charged forward, determined to get far away from those white flowers. His muscles tightened as he stumbled, pain increasing even more at such a movement.

Long, powerful arms appeared at his sides and as Vincent looked up into gold, he was lifted off his trembling legs and into the empty expanse of darkness. "Don't think I'm doing this for you," Chaos warned.

"I'm glad I'm loved," came they exhausted reply.

"On second thought, maybe I'll leave you here," the demon taunted.

"Go right ahead."

"Then again," Chaos shifted his grip on the gunman's waist, his claws digging deep into Vincent's skin. "The world would be empty without your boring self." The demon above him grunted and together they shot for the empty black void ahead. At these speeds, Vincent could barely tell what direction he was facing while Chaos continued to express any annoyances that came to his mind.

"Oh, and tell Tifa to wear her hair down more."

"I take it that you like that then," Vincent smirked, even through the nauseating agony. Blood dribbled past his thin lips to drip off his chin as he coughed until his chest rose frantically for air.

"Yeah, and compared to hers, yours is horrendous."

"I'll take that as a compliment."

"You should." The demon gave him a gentle squeeze, though gentle wasn't what it felt like. "Don't give up now Valentine, or we won't be able to take you through the barrier from the Lifestream. You can play exhausted later."

Blinking from the sting of blood in his eyes, he looked up with a contorted frown. "We?" He croaked.

Chaos smirked and a deep rumble vibrated his chest. "Of course," he teased.

Vincent rolled his eyes. The demon would be playing "simple answers" as always. Maybe Chaos didn't know much language. Wouldn't that be a pleasure. Then again, Chaos only spoke when he was out and free from Vincent's mind; able to use Vincent's abilities such as speech when he pleased.

"Ahead," Chaos noted.

Obeying, Vincent gazed at the oncoming darkness. It was then that he noticed other glowing red spheres hovering in mid air. "They might not be as useful as I, but I have summoned them to your aid."

The other spheres came forward as Chaos neared, coming up to swirl about and dance. His other demons, all coming to help? He would never forget this sight.

"Are you sure you don't have a heart?" Vincent asked, staring dumbfounded at the other entities around them.

"It is black if that helps you."

"It's probably red at this point. You are going soft Chaos."

"Very funny Valentine," the demon's head rose. "We're almost there."

Vincent sighed heavily, shaking in pain while blood flowed in small rivers across his skin. "Chaos," the gunman gasped.

"The closer you return to life, the more pain we shall experience. Not even my powers can help us."

Rolling his head back, Vincent stared at Chaos above him. The demon too, was bleeding from open wounds, though his wing beats were strangely steady. "Almost there," the demon groaned. Closing his eyes, Vincent hung limply in the entity's grasp while lights and bright colors danced across his closed eyelids.

* * *

"Vincent!" 

The frightened cry startled him forward, part of his unfocused gaze catching glimpse of Tifa Lockheart while he noticed the dizzying height underneath them.

"Oh gods!" he choked, quickly leaning back until he struck something hard, his brain seeming to slosh around his skull at the impact. Swaying, he shuddered violently, keeping his vision focused on a little leave on the very tip of the branch.

"Vincent? Vincent, please answer me," Tifa leaned into his view, forcing him to focus on her.

"Tifa… I said I would never leave you," he whispered. Tears pooled into her eyes and with a muffled sob, she rushed into his chest. As she cried, Vincent found her chin with his thumb and raised her head. "And I won't," he finished firmly.

With shaky breath, he leaned forward and placed a gentle kiss on her lips, savoring the moment and holding it close as he pulled away before she even had the chance to return it. "That's for before," he smiled weakly. Chaos' snickers were the last thing he heard before the spinning colors mixed into black.

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**A/N: Please drop a review on your way out please!**

**-J**


	21. Taking Up the Mystery

**A/N: Greetings everyone. I am sorry for the delay, but as learned in my update in His Turk Ways- I had no idea how to start this chapter, but know I finally have got it! I also apologize for not responding to all of my reviewers. My summer has gotten way to busy lately.**

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Denzel's cheeks pinched as his smile broadened, muscles growing sore at the lengthy time his lips had been taut over his teeth. Stepping out of the school-prison, he halted at the top of the steps to admire everything in a new light. The evening sun cast dark shadows over the cracked pavement where his fellow classmates rushed in search of their rides home. Some, as they passed by him, would grin in wonder at the boy who befriended one of the most powerful demons of the Planet. Even if Denzel had never met the true demon… Vincent certainly played the "evil" side well. It had him fooled at the beginning until the secrets were revealed and it had undoubtedly fooled his friends and enemies of the classroom.

The awe on their faces was still etched into his memory as Denzel literally skipped down the few stairs for the ground. Chaos… or Vincent in the demon's form, barely spoke except for an occasional chuckle and snort if a question was too absurd, so Denzel was the one to quell his classmates' curiosity. Each question he took with Vincent's identity in mind, and simple 'yes' and 'no' answers worked quite well.

Then, as his presentation came to a close, Chaos simply… disappeared. He had been standing behind Denzel in one moment and the next he was gone in a billow of black smoke. If that had been purposeful to express the amount of power Chaos was capable of, it certainly worked. The students, including Denzel himself had been shocked at such a sight and were left to gawk at empty space.

Now if only Denzel could thank the gunslinger, but Vincent was now with the Avalanche team. It would be impossible to reach him. Hoisting his backpack further up onto his slender shoulder, Denzel jogged across the tarmac, internally smirking as bullies and friends alike moved away from him in complete respect.

Denzel- Chaos' Friend! He certainly liked the sound of that.

As his bright eyes rose from the black pavement, he spotted Marlene waiting for him at the bus stop as usual with her pink book sack sagging at her feet. Picking up his speed, he waved to his "little sister" and upon reaching her, slowed back down to a dignified walk.

"Hi Denzel," she said cheerfully, eyes squinting at the stares the both of them were receiving. "What's going on?"

"You won't believe it if I told you," Denzel said breathlessly, though not from his quick run.

Marlene's lower lip jutted out in a pout, "Come on! Tell me, please?"

Denzel smirked slyly at her before lowering his face close to her ear. She jumped playfully at his acceptance and her fingers curled into small fists in anticipation. Looking around case any others might be near, Denzel's smile grew. "Marlene, remember when we visited Mr. Pointy Shoes at the big house?"

She nodded so Denzel continued, "Remember the big ugly book I was reading?" Again she nodded. "That book was about Mr. Pointy Shoes. He was my project today, and he visited my class for it. Isn't that cool?"

She moved away to stare at him strangely. "That's it?"

When he shook his head, her eyes brightened. Jumping on the balls of her feet, she teasingly pouted in hopes that he would share his special secret. Once again, Denzel glanced around to verify the other students were waiting for the bus farther off. "He was in his Creepy Form. Remember the 'Creepy Form'? The one with the big wings? He saved Tifa. You were afraid in your room while he helped Tifa get better, but after I told you he was a friend of Cloud's, you were okay."

"I remember!" She whispered. "Chaos monster, right? You said he was a good guy…" Her smile disappeared, "he _is_ a good guy isn't he?"

Denzel nodded vigorously. "Yeah, he is," he said softly, raising his head to stare down the road at the oncoming bus. Pointing towards it, his knees cracked as he knelt to help Marlene collect her things while she babbled continuously about her day.

As he straightened, Denzel's mind seemed to go off with fireworks as realization struck him. He did have a family. He did have someone who cared about him. Marlene had Barret. Tifa had her friends. And Denzel, well, he had Vincent Valentine.

Long ago, he had hated the man known by that name. Now, Denzel wanted to know more than what the book told him. Vincent was a mystery to be solved and it taunted him with crimson eyes; the silent, fearsome man who had an unknown past. Who was this Lucrecia Crescent? Who wrote the creepy chicken scratch of handwriting? Vincent Valentine knew, he had to; maybe it was the reason why Vincent was the way he was.

As the wheels squealed to a stop, signaling the bus's arrival, Denzel slipped in line behind Marlene and continued to think fervently. It was his job to discover what secrets laid underneath that crimson cloak, him and him alone.

* * *

Mrs. Rita stood nervously in front of her classroom window, watching the happy children frolic towards their homes, leaving the school grounds empty. Tapping one foot, she glanced towards her desk at the black phone upon it.

Pushing strands of hair away from her face, she returned her gaze back towards the outdoors, determined to remain calm. There had been a demon in her classroom… no need to panic. Just a demon; then again, one of the deadliest demons in the books…

She had known Denzel was a little different. Especially considering the upbringing of the boy, but running about with demons as friends? How could have the Heroes of the Planet allow it?

The shrill cry of her phone startled her and she nearly collided with the desk that had somehow sneaked behind her. Shaking her head at her own foolishness, she strode for her desk, snatching the receiver in the process.

"Hello?" She whimpered; glancing at her closed door case the demon was waiting for her on the other side.

**"Mrs. Rita I presume? I am Inspector Beu. You called about a… demon?"**

Her laugh was dry and short. "I know it sounds strange," she replied hastily. "But the truth is: the demon Chaos. A child has befriended it and I am slightly concerned. The boy is strange, for he is the adopted son of Cloud Strife… have you heard of him?"

**"The Cloud Strife who rescued Edge from Kadaj and his group? Of course, ma'am."**

"Then you must understand that this boy is in terrible neglect. And, because of it, a demon has appeared. I'm afraid of what it has done to him." Her fingers tightened around the phone receiver until she thought it would crush.

**"Listen uh… Mrs. Rita. We get calls in all the time about unwanted pests in people's backyards. Some of them quite dangerous, but a demon within a school should not be permitted."**

"Mr. Beu, I have absolutely no idea how the monster got within these walls. All I know is what I witnessed and the boy was standing directly in front of it. It was for a school project I sent the children on. I never expected anything such as a demon however."

**"Completely understandable. School projects should never have demons, I agree with you."**

Mrs. Rita slammed her fist upon her desk, ignoring the sting. "Look here Mr. Beu. If you do not believe me then just say it. All I am saying is that the demon known as Chaos was within my classroom walls and I want someone to go ask the boy some questions!"

**"Chaos? Ma'am, the demon known as Chaos, as far as I've been told, only resides in bedtime stories. Are you on any medications by chance?"**

"No… Please, I shall pay you for your troubles if you at least come out and question a few of the students and then go look at the boy. I am concerned for his wellbeing. It is nonstop talking about this cursed creature, and I am afraid of what might be occurring at home!" Her voice had risen to the point of a shout, her hand slamming back down upon the desk with every other word.

**"Are you suggesting child abuse?"** His voice had changed distinctly and Mrs. Rita smiled. She had finally hit a nerve with the guy. If she could make him believe that Tifa Lockhart and Cloud Strife were abusing both Denzel and Marlene, then maybe the damn inspector would spot the demon also. It was certainly worth a shot.

"I believe so, otherwise he wouldn't continue on like he does. As you have said, Mr. Beu, Chaos is from bedtime stories to scare children to bed. Chaos isn't a happy demon with flowers in his hands."

**"Mrs. Rita, you just recently claimed that you saw the demon yourself, are you still claiming that?"**

Inhaling deeply, she shook her head. "No sir, I am not. I apologize, but my concern for the children has kept my mind jumbled and I can barely think straight. I was merely keeping it up for the poor boy, so he wouldn't be alone in his believe that Chaos was standing behind him."

**"I understand. Emotions are very strong within the mind. Thank you for the notice Mrs. Rita. I shall visit the school later on this week and question the boy. What is his name?"**

Mrs. Rita smiled softly, "His name is Denzel."

* * *

Cloud hacked away at the leaves directly in front of him, slicing them in half with one swoop. Branches snapped as he forced his way through while Yuffie, deciding to take the easier route, leaped and scrambled up trees in attempts to spot red.

Glancing up above him as crisp, green leaves soared down around him; he spotted Yuffie dangling from a rather slim branch. She was only using one arm to hold herself and a dry smirk formed on the blonde's lip if she suddenly fell. It would certainly earn a laugh.

"Nope, don't see them!" She cried, nodding towards Cloud solemnly before climbing up the branch to hop to another.

The blonde sighed before swinging his sword with a soft grunt. They had to find them and fast for Vincent hadn't been in too great of shape when they left.

"Hey, when we find them, remind me to thank ol' Vince," Cid said from somewhere behind. The stubborn pilot had been voted to pull the chocobos along. Barret had said 'it would be good for the old buzzard'. Sadly, Cid's complaining didn't help the situation any as the chocobos seemed to torture him every two minutes. The birds certainly knew how to work the pilot, squawking in his ear and nipping at his short, wheat hair.

"Do you mean thank him, or knock some sense into him?" Barret said farther off. Cloud didn't know where, and honestly didn't care as long as they found Vincent and Tifa in one piece.

"Maybe both," came Cid's reply. "Damn it! Bird jus' tried to crush my feet."

Cloud shook his head, struggling to keep a straight face. How Shera found anything within that stubborn man was beyond him. Frantic scrambling above caused all movement to cease as Yuffie reappeared above them, a bright smile on her face.

"Found them!" she chirped excitedly. "They're in a small clearing directly ahead. Vince's asleep and healing while Tifa's making camp… I guess they were in a tree at first, and I really am curious how they got down…"

* * *

**A/N: Please leave a review. They help me so much and give me so much joy.**

**Until next time,**

**J**


	22. Predicting the Future?

* * *

Tifa's gaze flickered across the smoldering fire, her attention slowly traveling across Vincent's peaceful features as his closed eyes twitched in a quiet dream. His sleeping matt was wrapped tightly around his body with his cloak draped over it for extra warmth. He certainly was beautiful to look at, and Tifa absorbed the sight hungrily. 

"Blue," Yuffie whispered harshly as she adjusted her own sleeping pallet near the fire while Cloud fixed one right at her side… right next to Vincent. So, the blonde would take care of Vincent during the night- that was a surprise. Tifa sighed and carefully smoothed out the fluffy sleeping mattress underneath her with a smile. Wandering thoughts slowly led her back to earlier today, and how could it not? Vincent Valentine, a man who preferred solitude had given her a kiss. Even now she could still feel his lips upon hers with such tender care it sent shivers down her spine.

"Green," Cid snapped back, settling down atop his own matt with a grunt. Barret, who was situated between Vincent and the blonde pilot, rolled his eyes silently, though Tifa could almost see the steam coming out of his ears.

"For the gods' sakes, shut the hell up!" He snarled and plopped down with his arms tucked underneath his head. His sides heaved as the two once again began to bicker quietly.

Tifa smiled helplessly while the three continued to argue over nonsense while her gaze once again shifted over what she could see of Vincent's chin and cheekbone.

"I remember when you used to give me that look."

Her muscles coiled while her head rose, surprised to find Cloud standing above her. When had he gotten there? Her cheeks began to burn while something crackled in the fire, her attention quickly drawn there. _Please go away,_ she thought fervently, but her wishes went unnoticed. The blonde dropped his body weight next to her and he neatly tucked his feet underneath him.

"You should have told me," he continued quietly, observing the scene before him with a look of fatherly love.

"Told you what?" she questioned, feeling her stomach drop with a clink.

Slowly his head turned until his mako eyes burned through hers. She swallowed her tongue and one hand tugged against the soft fabric of the sleeping matt underneath her. "That you love him," he whispered, his lips stretching into a knowing smile.

All the blood within her plummeted down to her feet and if her heart was attempting to run a marathon on its own, it would have won first place. Cloud laughed lightly, keeping it low enough so the others wouldn't catch on.

Regaining her courage, her eyes lit with burning anger. "And have you react like you did before? I don't think so."

His smile disappeared and he stared at her hurtfully. "Tifa, I was scared before…"

Her speech vanished within her mouth. He had been scared? Cloud seemed to sense her surprise and slowly continued, "I've been afraid since I found you at the mansion with Vincent. I've been worried for your safety, but now I know. Vincent's in more control than I thought he was. I just was afraid to believe it because I always thought that if I did- I would lose you forever."

"You will never lose me Cloud," she managed, her hand reaching out to clasp with his.

"I know that now," his smile returned with more enthusiasm. "So, I think you're in my seat."

Her eyebrow raised in question and once again the deep laugh of his vibrated his chest. "You're supposed to sleep next to your knight in crimson cloak aren't you? I'd think he'd be more at ease if he woke to find you next to him anyways. He'd probably have more interest in shooting me. He trusts you, which is amazing in itself. Just don't tell him I said anything. I might give him a glare or two, just to see how protective he gets. I have to see if he's the man for you, you know," Cloud teased with a nudge to Tifa's shoulder.

* * *

Vincent stood within the cloud of black, his eyes narrowing in disgust. And here he thought he was finished with these dangerous thoughts for a while. Sweeping his cloak away from his side with an arm he carefully approached one side of the black cloud. It didn't seem dangerous. Reaching out, his hand slipped through to whatever was on the other side- nope, not dead. 

Frowning behind his cowl, his heavy boots slowly led him through to the bright light on the other side. Blinking at the sudden brightness, he staggered back for a moment until he was sure that he wasn't blind.

"Vincent…"

"Tifa?" His head rose farther away from the cloak surrounding his face while he scanned the continuing light. Just as he had hoped, her silhouette appeared and soon, she was standing directly in front of him with a smile on her beautiful face. Smiling gently in return, his claw reached up to stroke her face but instead of a loving caress, she cried out in anguish once his fingertips reached her skin.

Instinctively he flinched back, eyes wide as her skin began to blemish were the gentle touch had been. "Tifa!" he growled nervously as the reddening skin seemed to spread over her face. Her back arched as she convulsed before him while cries of terror slipped from her throat.

Behind her, Chaos' towering form appeared, glowing yellow eyes twisted with fear. _Fear?_ Vincent did a double take, unsure of what to make of that expression on the demon's face.

"The Lifestream has been disturbed… it has been touched…"

"What?" Vincent snorted, confused at the demon's words while Tifa seemed to vanish altogether.

"I smell death." Even though there was excitement and nervousness together in the demon's voice, oddly enough Vincent trusted the demon's senses. If Chaos was coming to him suddenly, something terrible was happening. It was rare to have Chaos be so forward and even rarer to have fear dripping from the demon's words.

"If we don't do something, we are going to die," Chaos continued softly. The bright light vanished and soon, Vincent's body was spinning in darkness once again. Just like Tifa had, the demon was gone. Blinking slowly, his brow furrowed in anger as Nanaki appeared within the dark, his eyes empty and unfeeling. In an instant, the orange creature was bounding over to him and in a single leap, captured the gunslinger's throat in his jaws.


	23. Running Out of Time

Vincent's muscles coiled, straining to the limit as his spine straightened. Inhaling sharply, his torso shot forward, away from his sleeping matt. The thick blankets fell away from his body to rest around his waist, his leather encased chest rising and falling with intense speed. Small jabs of pain snaked through his nerves with each wracked breath, but all was ignored as he stared determinedly into the soft glowing embers by his feet.

"Vince, you all right?"

The gunslinger froze while his breathing slowed. Crimson rose away from the gentle light to glower at bright cobalt, the colors shimmering as the embers slowly died. "Cloud," Vincent noted quietly, his head bobbing in a careful greeting. The swordsman across from him returned the gesture just as cautious, each one unwilling to mention the matters surfacing between them.

"Dream?" Cloud questioned nonchalantly, the corner of his lip turning upwards.

"I suppose," he sighed. _It had been so real…_

"Let me guess, you don't want to talk about it?" Cloud chuckled, his gaze lowering down to the exhausted fire. His hand groped about his side until finding a stick of suitable size to urge the fire for heat. Each gentle poke sent small orange sparks through the air to land upon the soot and Vincent watched them lazily with eyes half closed.

A soft murmur obtained his attention and slowly his head turned. Tifa's face nuzzled the thick blanket underneath her head as she slept; her flawless face a thing of beauty in the flickering light. Beside him, his claw twitched with a newfound desire, a desire he couldn't grasp if the blonde was still awake. Refraining from touching her cheek, he instead grasped the edge of her blanket to pull it closer to her neck with sincere care.

"Care to explain?"

His gold claw shot away from her and quickly retreated for his side. Again, the gunslinger glared at Cloud in warning. "Care to explain what, if I may inquire?" He asked coldly, low enough as to not wake the others.

"Why the sudden 'feeling exposure'? You're usually as tight as one of those clams seen on people's plates. Now you're interacting with us and even speaking, care to explain?"

Vincent growled, his eyes traveling up Cloud's form with purpose to find a lie in his body posture, or at least a little bit of anger. Instead, he found none; Cloud was honest and being as friendly as he was with every one of his teammates. Vincent preferred none of it and turned away.

"I shall take up watch Cloud. You will need your sleep," he said in return, noticing the slump in Cloud's shoulders as he did so.

"I suppose you're right," Cloud sighed, lowering his body to rest on the sleeping matt. "You will just have more dreams anyways, I guess," he continued with a stifled yawn.

Vincent winced at the idea. If life could continue without sleep, he would gladly do it for dreams plagued his mind, dreams that he would rather do without. _Apparently ones with Tifa involved are nightmares also._

Moaning at the aching pain with each movement he created, Vincent carefully leaned his body weight back onto the tree behind him. Even though the bark pinched his skin, he refused to move and pondered what Chaos had spoken of. The Lifestream was in trouble, yet how could he save it? The demon wished it to be so, but saving the Planet was one thing and saving the Lifestream was another.

"Vincent?"

Blinking, he again looked to his side to find Tifa's questioning gaze piercing into him. Dropping his attention down to the cloak tucked around his waist, he pulled it away to drape it carefully over her blanket. Tifa barely moved as he did so, a smile growing on her features while he gently tucked it around her sides. "Sleep," he commanded before he resumed to his turmoil of thoughts.

"I can't, not unless I know how you're doing," she whispered softly, pushing herself away from her sleeping matt. Her elbow popped and her face twisted in a grimace before she leaned towards him.

Vincent twitched as a calm hand came to rest on his bicep, just above the beginning of his claw. A giggle created a frown on his lips while the gentle caress traveled up his arm to his shoulder. "Can I see how you're doing?" she requested, and the gunslinger knew he wouldn't be able to say no. Carefully, he moved his arms away from his sides in submission while her hand had already wandered to the zipper of his vest.

The grating noise was loud in the small clearing and with each passing second Vincent was certain someone would wake to find Tifa removing his shirt. He may have opened up to Tifa, but that didn't include the rest of the team. Vincent preferred to remain the 'silent, creepy looking guy' and he definitely didn't need anyone's taunts that the Beast had found his love. It was true, Vincent did love Tifa, and he had come to terms with those feelings, but what troubled him was the fact that he was afraid to express these feelings when it was known that Vincent Valentine had none. He had a reputation to keep, and couldn't become the friendly guy most of the Avalanche Team was attempting to create out of him. Now that would be a beast.

He was willing to accept what had occurred in the past and move on, as so many had encouraged him to do, but he couldn't just change from being aloof and hiding in the dark to jumping around with butterflies soaring about his head. He had demons within him that kept him in check. Tifa understood all that, or at least, he hoped she did. She was taking things slow, which he tolerated. Part of him wished he had never met Tifa, so his love wouldn't have become hers, and yet he knew she would be good for him and to him. He needed her just as she needed him.

He watched her brow furrow as the folds of his vest folded away, exposing his pale and scarred flesh to the night air. Looking down upon himself also, he cringed at the thick scrapes and darkening bruises dotting amongst the pearl white scars.

"If Yuffie hadn't used so much Materia, we wouldn't be in this mess," Tifa mumbled, either to herself or to both of them. Vincent wasn't quite sure as a slender finger reached out to examine a cut.

He flinched and Tifa whimpered sympathetically at him while her hand pulled away. "Sorry," she said softly. Vincent shrugged, unsure of what to say. He hated being pitied; for he would rather have all that had happened to him remain on him instead of someone else. He certainly didn't wish to see Tifa in his position.

Her hand soon returned, but it was a gentle stroke on an uninjured area along his side. Again, he cringed away from the touch while she cooed at his reaction. "You're still afraid of touch aren't you?"

"I don't prefer it," he agreed darkly.

Tifa grunted at this while she stared thoughtfully at the thick scar running straight down the center of his chest. Vincent studied it also, wondering what had gained her attention.

Beside him, her head began to lower downward and Vincent's mind melted as he felt warm, wet lips touch the white scar for just a moment before disappearing. He shuddered as his body struggled to regain his composure, but he found that he couldn't. Once more, her soft lips brushed over the former injury, cold air replacing her heated breath as she moved up along it.

"Tifa," he warned, unsure if any of the others would wake at this moment. Knowing his luck, one of them would, and he unquestionably didn't want them to see him in such a position with Tifa. Cloud would logically have a fit if he was the one who woke.

"Mm?" she grunted innocently as the kisses reached the end of the scratch. Moving away, she smiled at him. "Used to my touch yet?" her eyes rolled at him and Vincent briefly wondered if he was actually wearing an expression. "Oh yeah, I forgot that you're Vincent Valentine. I guess I'm breaking the rules aren't I?"

She was toying with him, and the temptation was too much to handle. The smirk was inevitable as he carefully leaned in, mindful that his body refused to do much moving. Moving his lips slowly up to her ear he waited until she fidgeted to continue her little game.

"You may break all the rules you want," he sneered, chuckling as she gasped into his own ear. _Try that one, Tifa. You're turn._

Pulling away, he snorted at her bright red cheeks which almost matched the color of the cloak he wore. Without removing his eyes from hers, he returned the zipper to the proper place and adjusted his body as his chest was once again confined.

"I hate you, you jerk," she growled playfully, swatting his gold arm with a gentle flick of a wrist.

"And I, you," he returned, his voice empty of feeling.

"I also hate how you do that," she continued, eyeing him.

"Do what?"

"Hide all your feelings and still remain so sarcastic. I hate you for that too."

Vincent chuckled once again. "I suppose you would."

"Oh, and another thing", her voice lowered for seriousness. "I hate how you seem to step on eggshells around me."

Vincent looked away, concern slipping into his mind of where this conversation was headed. Though, he knew he had no choice. "Feelings are difficult," he concluded.

"I know," she agreed. "But will you let me try?"

He knew what she was requesting and he found it even more difficult to answer. Did he want this to travel further than just a friendship? He refused to believe that it already had without his notice, but with some reluctance he knew that it had happened. There was no turning back now; he could not escape back to his usual sulking self. He had to support Tifa, and be her pillar of strength. She looked to him though there could have been so many others.

He had to give her his feelings, his heart. _She already has them…_

Vincent Valentine was in love, there could be no denial this round. And Tifa Lockhart loved him in return.

He was utterly confused, and in the abyss of his mind Chaos snickered at his frustration. Shutting the door to his thoughts on the demon, Vincent slowly turned back to Tifa, his mind made up.

"You don't need to ask," he said finally. She smiled at this and carefully snuggled up against him, using his shoulder as a pillow.

Closing his eyes, he struggled to obtain sleep but to his dismay it continued to slip past him. The mental block between him and Chaos suddenly shattered, the demon corrupting his thought process and mental peace.

Sensitive senses purged away anything that he normally felt as the demon struggled to fight off an invisible being within his mind. The demon was… in pain? Stretching his mind out to his surroundings, Vincent fought to remain cool and still while his mind seemed to be a battlefield.

A musky odor drifted past his nostrils and he quickly inhaled it, struggling to place it within Chaos' scent memory. The image of Nanaki appeared as an answer and Vincent swiftly jumped to his feet, ignoring everything but the threatening reality that Nanaki was once again near.

Tifa cried out as her pillow disappeared and her body dropped to the ground with a hard thud. Looking up, she froze as Vincent's body trembled before her. He slowly turned around, burning red eyes melting all her defenses as she kept eye contact with him. She knew that gaze all too well…

"Nanaki, he's near," he informed. "Wake the others."

She merely nodded as she struggled free of the tangled mess. Calling out to each of her comrades all quickly scrambled to their feet in the quick adrenaline rush of awaking to shouting.

"What the hell?" Cid demanded angrily.

With a snort, he swiftly snatched his cloak before leaping over the dead fire to charge through the underbrush, hearing the rest of the team run after him. Chaos within shifted worriedly as the connection between him and the Lifestream cried out in pain. Someone or something was playing with the Lifestream and Vincent needed to find out whom. Nanaki had to be the answer. Had to be… and he was running out of time.

* * *

**A/N: People actually thought I had killed off Vincent Valentine in the last chapter! I would never do that to all of you. So, here is another chapter, and reviews for it would be nice. Pretty please?**


	24. Hello Vincent

**A/N: Because I have been so busy lately- I really haven't had the chance to write a long chapter in a while, so this is short. Hopefully it will please all those who have been waiting and I apologize for not updating sooner. So here is the next chapter, and we finally have the main plot going! Yay! Enjoy, and please leave a review!

* * *

**

Inspector Beu studied the crumpled paper within his hands, the faint pencil scratch barely visible after such abuse. Chaos, the woman had been ranting about Chaos. _Is that what I have written down here?_ Beu shook his head, a gloved hand reaching up to tug at his short red hair. Itch finally relieved he continued down the street, glancing up at the glow of street lamps illuminating small circles of cement.

The night was quiet, crickets chirping to unwritten tunes before he strode past their hiding places. His head rose from his feet and he stared at the upcoming building: Seventh Heaven. Rumors from a few of his fellow employees encouraged him to make a stop to the bar once they learned he had been researching Cloud Strife.

"What a shack," he grumbled, eyeing the three story building in disgust. Looking about his surroundings, his brow furrowed upon a bench nearby. It was late into the night and the residence of Seventh Heaven would be closed for the night. He would just have to wait until morning to obtain the details which eluded him during his search. The only name he had managed to find was owned to the deceased Lucrecia Crescent who had studied the Chaos Theory. To his disappointment, he could find nothing else about the demon entity known by that name besides unrealistic fantasies… including a girl who swore she was raped by the "sexy monster".

* * *

Vincent lunged over a log, his abused and battered body wishing for the rest that he declined to give. Within, Chaos fought for his freedom in complete desperation. Vincent's teeth slid across each other as the demon came ever closer to his own conscious. He couldn't let Chaos rip free now, for his body wouldn't be able to withstand the transformation after such a battle.

"Yo, Vince! Slow down will ya!" Barret's order boomed and Vincent quickly ducked low underneath a tree branch. His head skimmed the bark, though he refused to cease his quick stride. "Apparently he's lost his ears," the giant finished once he realized Vincent decided not to answer.

The road which had once been an ugly battle field was farther off than Vincent had expected. He knew that he had been in pain, but he never thought his injured body could take flight with Tifa in his arms let alone fly such a distance. The lunar light which seemed almost as bright as day forced the gunman to skid along the dirt; his heels dug deep into the ground to stop. The road… was completely empty except for the few fireflies along the path.

With his heart a pounding drum against his ears, Vincent hesitantly stepped forward into the white glow. His body tensed with a small volt of pain from overexerted muscles. He was in the open now… but where was his opponent?

The bushes behind him rustled and groaned while a cuss alerted him to the team's position. His eyes nearly rolled for the stars while his chest heaved a sigh. _Can they become any more earsplitting? _Cid arrived first, almost tumbling into the gunman who easily slid out of the pilot's way.

"Dammit Vince! You shouldn't just run off like that," Cid bellowed, stomping his foot down angrily before the gunman. Vincent blinked, his head slowly turning for further up the road.

"Something's coming," he noted, his claw shooting out to grasp at the pilot's mouth to silence him. Cid grunted in surprise and froze within Vincent's grasp, his cheeks squeezing into his mouth cavity in response to the pressure.

As the team slowly arrived, the sight of Vincent forcibly hushing the pilot caused all of them to be silent as well, listening intently for the noise Vincent had discovered. Crouching down, Vincent removed his hand and placed it against the ground, his fingertips lightly grazing over the loose pebbles.

"Hide," he snarled, leaping upwards and for a second; hovered, before bounding into the branches of the nearest tree. The leaves barely rustled and his glowing red eyes blinked down at them from the darkness of the protection above.

"Is he human?" Yuffie yawned, shaking her head as she too began to scurry up a tree.

* * *

Tifa hissed at the noise as she attempted to find a suitable hiding place. Her mind worked in overdrive as she brainstormed possible areas that would serve the whole team in case of an ambush attack. Glancing once more to where Vincent hid, she turned and studied a tree directly on the other side of the trail.

Running at top speed, she soared over Cloud's head and landed almost in perfection on a thin branch. Exchanging a smirk with the swordsman, she disappeared higher into the tree branches, the bark digging into her palms as she searched for a foothold.

The height was incredible, and the feeling of falling formed in her empty stomach. Blinking at the drop, she noticed with slight amusement that no one of the team was even visible, including Barret who was often times difficult to hide. Settling back onto her heels, she peaked through the leaves and out to the horizon. If she squinted, a pair of yellow specks was visible bobbing their way.

"That's fire materia!" Yuffie squealed from the other side. Someone hushed her and Tifa could hear her own heartbeat. Returning her watch for the incoming danger, her body stiffened. Chocobos, two of them, with Nanaki in the lead or at least, she thought it was Nanaki. The blobs continued down their path, oblivious to the Avalanche team ahead.

As they came closer, faces appeared… and one familiar. Nanaki was plodding ahead of the two chocobos, a heavy chain wrapped around his neck in a pathetic form of a collar. He jingled with each step he took, his empty eyes staring straight ahead while the two men upon the skittish chocobos spoke quietly to each other. While the men neared, so did the lantern light, engulfing the surrounding area in a soft yellow glow. Instinctively, Tifa cowered back and pressed herself up against the trunk behind her.

Nanaki's head shot up, his nostrils flaring before he tilted his head in her direction, a growl forming deep within his chest. The men, though they stopped as Nanaki did, stared warily at the orange creature.

"This is the fifth time tonight you stupid animal. What is it this time, another rabbit?" One of the men shook the end of the chain attached to a Chocobo's harness. Tifa bit her lip to hide her tears, Nanaki was a proud creature, how could they do this to him?

"Come on, we have to bring him back to Rya or she'll skin us alive. Her plan is working, that's all she needs to know. However, his wounds will need some fixing if she wants to keep sending him out like this," The other clicked his chocobo onward and they pulled a snarling Nanaki away.

When they disappeared, the night once again became night and Tifa stared off into the black. With her heart pounding she felt as though she was frozen to the spot. Below, the team was slowly coming from their chosen hiding areas. Cloud was the first to appear with the others carefully stepping through the underbrush to meet in the center of the path.

"We should've stopped them and rescued Red," Cid complained, he pointed a finger at Cloud. "Next time, get better han' signals because I thought you were sayin' I should shove a stick into my ass."

"What I meant was to stay put, we won't do Nanaki any good if we can't figure out what has made him a mindless killing machine," Cloud replied coolly.

Cid grunted and turned to Vincent as the gunman dropped from his tree branch. Leaves rained around him as he straightened to regard them all. "We need to discover who Rya is before we can continue any further," he announced.

Cloud nodded, "Right. But I think we'll discuss this in more detail later. For now, we need to rest. If they headed in that direction, I think we should follow. Besides," he gestured at Vincent, "we have a very good tracker apparently."

"We just shouldn't go now," Barret agreed. "The poor birds need their rest. Hey, where's Tifa?"

"Probably still hiding," Yuffie supplied.

"Why don't you just state the obvious?" Cid snorted, dodging a swinging arm with a chuckle.

"Tifa, come on let's go!" Cloud shouted softly, looking up into her tree. He tilted his head at the gunslinger and purposely sighed heavily. "Vince, since you're so good at jumping around, how about you just hop up there and see what's up."

Tifa smiled, knowing fully well why Cloud did what he did. Vincent, however, glared at Cloud's remark and then somersaulted into her tree. She watched his grace, his ease as he landed slightly below her, his mako red eyes aglow with desire.

Below, Cloud ordered the team to return back to camp with Yuffie complaining of tiredness. Vincent stole a quick look at them disappearing into the bushes before his gaze found hers once more.

"Hello Tifa," he said lowly, the sparkle fleeting in his eyes. He could see her, all she could see where his bright red orbs, a game of predator and prey. She gasped as he lunged forward and balanced himself before her, successfully pinning her body against the tree trunk. Hot breath blasted the corner of her neck and the excited tremble within her stomach intensified.

"Hello Vincent."


	25. Step Dad

"Are you comfortable?"

"What kind of question is that?!" Tifa hissed back, glancing behind her at bright crimson eyes veiled by dark black strands. The claw around her waist tightened as their mount stumbled along the path. Tifa quickly jerked her head around, in case any of their fellow team members turned at that exact moment.

Ahead, Yuffie and Cid were once again at each others throats- or close to it at least. Cid was so flushed with anger, he almost could have been assumed as a fire fiend. Their yelling was the only sound coming from the group and it was beginning to cause headaches. The stiffness in Cloud's shoulders warned her of an outburst and she carefully guarded her own frustration with calmness. She had taken the last position on the convoy just like last time, though- she wasn't alone. Because they had lost a chocobo to Nanaki's surprise attack, Cloud had elected Vincent to ride behind Tifa (with a hidden wink for Tifa of course). She wasn't complaining.

"If they don't stop, they're going to lose their voices," Tifa sighed, absently rubbing her temple with a thumb.

"I doubt it," Vincent replied, slackening his hold on the reins and allowing the chocobo to set its own pace. It chirped shrilly and picked up a little speed to remain with the group.

"Trust me, I'll rip out their voice boxes," Tifa swore, groaning as Yuffie screeched in the only way the ninja could- loud.

Vincent grunted in response, using the hold around her waist to draw her in closer to him. Once her back was following the curves of his chest, he sighed in content and allowed her to do as she wished. Tilting her head to see his face besides hers she smiled sweetly at him. "We should share chocobos more often Vince," she giggled, seeing his eyes close.

"I agree," he mumbled, yawning over the cowl of his cloak and exposing slightly elongated fangs which usually didn't exist.

"Is 'you know who' troubling you?" Tifa asked worriedly, the old bite wound tingling at the thought of _those_ teeth on _her_.

Vincent's mouth clamped shut at her words, his bright eyes focusing on her incredulously. "Why do you ask such things?"

"Because you have fangs Mr. Valentine," she observed, noting the way his jaw moved as his tongue ran across the pointed canines.

"I suppose he is more restless than usual," the gunman admitted, averting his eyes to the rest of the team. His deep voice softened and Tifa prepared for a long and difficult conversation. "I am still in control," he assured her. "However, I cannot explain Chaos' actions as of late. They are erratic and unavoidable. It worries me."

"I'm pleased," she whispered and he stiffened against her, "that you are talking to me about it." At her words he relaxed once again.

"I knew you would be."

"Can you continue talking?" She asked, a fake pout forming on her features.

"Whatever for?"

_Because you have a sexy voice... _"Come on Vincent, you've got an impressive voice and I like to hear it. Besides, I want to know what's going on. I mean, you haven't had these problems before with Chaos."

Vincent snorted. "I suppose I could. Though, you must not repeat these things to anyone. They are merely speculations. You must understand that I do not trust Chaos to a large extent and I need to learn a few more details before I express the news."

"I hate secrets," Tifa growled.

"Then you must hate me, for I am full of them," he remarked.

Before Tifa could reply her phone began to vibrate within her pocket, startling her though Vincent remained passive. Holding it up to her ear she waited for the caller to begin.

**"Tifa?"**

"Denzel," Tifa blinked and Vincent shifted behind her. "Is something wrong?"

**"Well, there's this guy here- a detective who is threatening us. He wants to take Marlene and me away. He thinks I'm crazy because of Chaos. I don't know what to do… Tifa, I'm scared."**

"It'll be okay Denzel. Where are you now?" She clutched the phone a little tighter and felt Vincent do the same to her while he leaned forward to search for any expressed emotion.

**"I'm in the bathroom 'cause Mrs. Highwind couldn't get away to call you. She's keeping the guy busy. She's really scared! Keeps on saying that we're okay here."**

"Okay, this is what I'm going to do. I'll be over in an hour and see what this is about. We're close to Edge anyways."

**"Please hurry!"**

Tifa closed the phone and looked at Vincent behind her, "I've got to go. A detective is looking into the children over Chaos."

Vincent scowled and quickly urged their chocobo onward. Tifa could barely respond to his sudden behavior and clung to the saddle horn as their chocobo rushed forward up to Cloud. The blonde stared at them in utter surprise which quickly morphed into worry.

"We must leave," Vincent growled. "There are some matters which need to be resolved once and for all."

Cloud frowned and focused on Tifa who nodded vigorously. "It deals with the children," she explained.

"What happened?" The swordsman demanded fearfully. Tifa winced at the fury within his voice, for he adored the children. If anything happened to them, she knew he would be crushed.

"A matter which doesn't involve you but a known demon," Vincent concluded. Tifa's mouth opened and she couldn't help but slowly reprocess Vincent's words within her head.

Vincent had always been a man of redemption, his sole purpose to "repent past sins" though he always completed these little projects within secrecy. No one knew of his wanderings until Cloud disappeared and he reappeared. And he always grew touchy once the subject of his past or anything to do with his inner demons surfaced except now. Now he was talking to her- actually having a conversation that consisted more than just two words on his part. Now he was expressing the need of family and friendship- the need of companions. Now he was learning how to live.

Was it because of her? Was she the one who had started his openness or Denzel who had conveyed such interest in the demons of Vincent's mind? Tifa had to admit she had noticed the change with him when he was around Denzel, it was almost a fatherly position he had taken up for the children who were indeed fatherless (of course Marlene had Barret). He had sacrificed something for someone else once again- his time and patience- but that sacrifice soon became something good for him instead. Vincent had become one of the family, and Tifa desperately wanted to make sure it would stay that way. Denzel had barely any interest for Cloud anymore, except as a brother. The stoic gunman was the new father- even if he was plagued by monsters. It just proved that he was more human; more at flaw than anyone else. Vincent probably would never mention it to her or anyone for that matter. He had accepted the role and that was that. There was no need to speak about something that had been done. His love did not need to be analyzed and Tifa didn't want to.

"Cloud," she said calmly, obtaining the blonde's attention. "Trust us on this. Lead the team onward, we'll catch up to you later."

"Take care of them," Cloud sighed, his signal of defeat on all argument. Surprisingly enough, Vincent nodded.

"Always will," the gunman vowed and with a snarl at the chocobo, left the Avalanche team behind them.

As the world sped by with the bird panting underneath them, Tifa clung onto Vincent's claw which, not once, lost its hold. "You've changed Vincent," she informed him, though he probably already knew.

"For the better I think," he breathed in her ear followed by a deep inhale. She smiled gently, knowing that he was memorizing her smell.

"I think so too," she agreed and then remained silent for the rest of the ride.

Upon appearing on the outskirts of Edge, Vincent pulled back on the reins and nearly smacking her in the head with his fist. Their mount skidded to a halt and shook, ruffling its feathers in plain annoyance.

Around them, the sands blasted their bodies, encouraging them to turn back or find shelter from the winds. With the beginnings of winter came the sandstorms of the fall. It was both messy and frustrating as people tracked sand almost everywhere they went, but it was good to hide in. They would be able to approach Seventh Heaven without much notice.

"Come," Vincent ordered, sliding from the saddle and quickly helped her down also. Relieved of a heavy burden, the chocobo gurgled and trotted for the buildings where it stood in protection from the sandstorm. Instinctively, Tifa shielded her face from the sand particles and grimaced as it burned her eyes and nose.

"I hate this," she shouted over the winds.

Vincent inched closer to her, using his body to protect her from the elements. "Understandable," he mumbled and carefully led her for Edge using his cloak as a barrier from the sands. For once, Tifa was grateful he wore the red fabric.

* * *

Denzel inched himself from the bathroom, squeezing through the small gap he had allowed between the door and wall. Downstairs he could hear the detective speaking to Shera quite firmly and he bit his lower lip.

The detective had asked if he was being abused, asked about Chaos, and asked about things Denzel didn't even want to rethink. All in all, he was afraid.

Skirting into the room he shared with Marlene, he scurried under the bed and brought out the old book about Vincent. Running his fingers along the smooth surface he sighed, and quickly stuffed it into a dresser drawer. Stacking underwear and socks over it, he admired his work briefly before quickly shutting the drawer shut and stumbled back downstairs.

The detective raised his head at his entry and studied him as he approached. Denzel's fingers curled, but he remained as aloof as ever. _How does Vincent do it? Oh yeah, show nothing._

"And where did you wander off to?" The detective inquired, his eyes squinting as he searched Denzel's face.

"Bathroom," the boy replied readily, glancing at Shera whose face paled. Marlene sat in her lap, her bright eyes focused on the detective with so much fear that she couldn't even cry. Denzel frowned at Marlene with her hands tight and hugged against her chest though the old piece of fabric she usually clung to was out of sight. "Where's your blanket Marlene?" He asked worriedly, ignoring the detective's scrutinizing stare.

The young girl's eyes flickered over to where the detective sat on the opposite side of the table. Lying against the old wood rested her blankie, the torn fabric barely an inch away from the detective's hand. The man's large palm moved over to it, picking it up to examine it with a tinge of disgust. _Guess he doesn't like little kids…_

Holding out his hand, Denzel waited patiently for the blanket to land within his grasp. However, the detective only raised an eyebrow at him and blinked. "I've been up all night Denzel and my patience is very thin. I was hoping that you would tell me about the demon known as Chaos because if Chaos is around, we will have to call the good guys- the police. They would be able to help. You know about the police don't you?"

Denzel's eyes flashed. "I'm not little anymore."

"Of course you're not," the detective noted.

"Then don't treat me like one," the boy snapped back, snatching the blanket out of the detective's hands and gently handed it to Marlene. The young girl whimpered and held onto it as though it were a lifeline, as though the mere fabric would protect her from the world's evils- which included the man before them.

"I apologize," the detective snapped back, running a hand through his red hair. Denzel instantly thought of a gunman who preferred those words. "But I want you to know, if you do not tell me what I am looking for I can have everything taken away. Just with a snap of my fingers," the detective made a mock snap with a hand and glared at the boy warningly.

Denzel's stomach dropped. Everything would be taken away? He didn't want to lose anyone or anything. "You could?" his voice cracked and he was suddenly overwhelmed with fear. He would lose Tifa, Vincent, Marlene, and the house he loved.

"You would be all alone," the detective continued.

"You cannot do that Inspector Beu," Shera hissed, hugging Marlene closer. "You don't have the right."

"I do have that right Mrs. Highwind. And I can do as I please. Now, all I am looking for is some simple information. If we don't have some cooperation soon, I will make some calls. I do believe there is an adoption agency with some openings and I promise you- Tifa Lockhart and Cloud Strife would not be able to enter the premises." Inspector Beu smiled smugly and settled back.

"Tifa and Cloud are not in as I have told you. They will be back in a few days, please return then," Shera forced, her voice also edged with fear. Denzel shivered and suddenly felt alone.

"I cannot wait for a few days, as I have stated. If you do not tell me now, there will be consequences," Inspector Beu's face bunched up with frustration.

"What sort of consequences?" A dark voice demanded from behind.

All heads turned and Denzel spun, a grin spreading on his face at the sight of red. "Vincent!" he cried, rushing forward to embrace the gunman who placed a hand on the boy's shoulder. Tifa stepped around the two and stared at the intruder.

* * *

The look of relieve on Shera's face meant a lot and Tifa exchanged a brief glance with Vincent. Focusing on the detective, Tifa nodded her respects before approaching. "My name is Tifa Lockhart. Can I help you with something?" She asked, her voice filled with scorn.

Marlene cried out and scampered away from Shera to grasp Tifa's hand, not once letting go for a moment. The martial artist bent down and picked the young girl up, supporting her on her hip and regarded the redhead.

Inspector Beu quickly stood and nodded in return. "John Beu. I received a tip that there was child abuse and physiological damage to Denzel. The boy is claiming that he has seen Chaos, a demon that has little information except for a few rumors. If this demon has visited the child, then I must make a few calls. It is a pleasure to meet you Miss. Lockhart and your companion?" The detective stared past her at Vincent, who had draped his cloak over Denzel's form protectively.

"Vincent Valentine," the gunman sighed indifferently and Tifa suppressed the sudden urge to laugh. _This inspector is going to be in trouble by the time Vincent's done, I bet. I've never seen him so closed up and so sarcastic. Though, very few notice the sarcasm._

"What purpose do you have here?" Inspector Beu demanded, eyeing him as though he was Sephiroth himself.

The mischievous sparkle within the dark crimson irises told the world and Tifa looked at Shera in warning. The pilot's wife nodded slowly, keeping quiet though Inspector Beu's focus was solely on Vincent.

"I suppose you could call me the… security of Seventh Heaven. I am also courting Miss. Lockhart."

Tifa bit her lip, her cheeks flushing even when she wished they wouldn't. Vincent never had verbally expressed their relationship to anyone, let alone to a stranger who was demanding some of the darkest secrets Vincent possessed.

Shera's eyes widened in realization looking onto Tifa in hopes to find truth within the gunman's claim of a relationship. Tifa could only nod.

"Interesting," Inspector Beu commented. "And what is your status with the children?"

"I suppose a step-father," Vincent shrugged while beneath him, though hidden, a smile spread on Denzel's face.

"Have you seen any abnormal behavior coming from Denzel?"

"Blowing bubbles within his milk in the mornings. It is a horrid habit I am trying to get him out of."

If Tifa didn't know better, she could have sworn this was an every day ordeal for Vincent to go through. As if he had conversations about being a father to other fathers on a regular basis. Heck, maybe he did during his free time…

"…I see…" Inspector Beu suddenly looked uncomfortable.

_Probably seeing the way the children reacted to our entry. There is no abuse here..._ Tifa mused angrily.

"Though," Vincent cut in, as if the thought just struck him. "He has mentioned a few things to me." In an instant the Inspector's face brightened at the thought of information.

"Such as," the detective encouraged.

"Well, he has informed me that his teacher despises him. I do believe the woman has an interest in me and has decided to frustrate Denzel over school about it. The woman doesn't seem to understand that I am already in a relationship."

"…the teacher?" Inspector Beu's face reddened with rage. How dare that woman claim things that were not even true! And why did he go along with it?! He quickly worked around the table for the door. "I am sorry for the trouble. It must have been a prank phone call." The door slammed behind him.

"You're dating?!" Shera blurted, staring between the two of them as if in a whole new light.

"Yes," Vincent answered before Tifa could even open her mouth. Shera blinked. The gunman turned to Tifa apologetically. "I must go. There are threats to be made and some clarification that needs to be known. I do not want to see that man within this house ever again. And to do that, he must be visited by a dear friend of ours."

"Chaos?" Denzel questioned. "But if he sees Chaos, won't he come back."

"Not when he sees the light," Vincent snorted, his lips curving in to a smirk. "Or rather, when he sees what the demon can do."

* * *

**Wow, sorry for the lack of updating! Gotta love school! But now that I'm on break, hopefully writing can be on the to-do list again. I hoped everyone enjoyed this chapter (it was fun to write) and please leave a review. I miss them dearly.**


	26. Existed

**A/N: Uh... wow. This chapter is intense and for those looking for some romance- well, this is certainly filled with it. I hope everyone enjoys- and please drop a review on your way out!**

* * *

Vincent decided not to leave, though Denzel not once heard him speak why. Instead, all the boy had the chance to see was a gentle stare sent Tifa's way which was equally returned. Interesting… and why couldn't he do that- make people communicate with you through eyeball language.

Marlene, who was oblivious to the whole encounter, quickly scrambled over to Vincent and began to tug on his cloak. Denzel smiled, or tried to, as he watched his new made up family- or what he hoped would be his new family. He hadn't actually told anyone, specifically Vincent, about his plan. Would Vincent be upset if he asked? He had been surprised and yet slightly relieved when Vincent informed the inspector that he was their father. It had sent chills down Denzel's spine. But had it all been an act?

"Here Marlene," The gunman sighed and his gold hand reached up behind his head. Curious, Denzel stepped closer. As his mechanical hand lowered, the red cloth fell from his forehead with it. Marlene took it readily and began to her attempts to mimic how it adorned Vincent. She refused to drop her blanket which, in turn, made her become even more frustrated when she couldn't wrap the bandanna around her head.

It was then Vincent knelt so gracefully that Denzel was positive the whole action was inhuman. His hands went for the back of her head where he quickly pulled the bandanna together. Marlene squealed in delight as she felt the fabric hiding her forehead and ran upstairs squeaking about finding a mirror.

"Denzel," the dark voice called and instinctively Denzel walked to it, his eyes caught within Vincent's. The gunman was searching, he could feel it as if he was being probed, but there were no words exchanged. Instead, Vincent merely unbuckled his cloak and tossed it at him. "Do as you will with it," he shrugged, a smirk forming on his lips.

"Won't you need it?" Denzel whispered, fingering the material in his hands. He sadly admitted it was strange seeing Vincent without it- it was though the gunman had been placed in a whole different light. It was blinding… and shocking all at the same time.

"Not for the time being," Vincent assured him. "You may keep it until I must leave, consider it a token to verify that I will not depart without you knowing."

The warmth began at Denzel's fingertips and began to shoot through his whole system; safe warmth he hadn't felt in months. It rekindled anything Cloud's sudden departure so long ago had destroyed making him secretly giddy. It frightened him- that he had missed such a soft and gentle feeling.

"Denzel? Are you alright?" Worry tinged the deep voice. "If you do- oomph!"

Wrapping his arms tighter across Vincent's torso he barely cared if he was squeezing Chaos right out of the gunslinger. "Thanks Vincent," he mumbled into the black leather of Vincent's vest. Giving him one more squeeze for good measure, he reluctantly let go and trudged up the stairs, stealing glances behind him to notice that Vincent watched his progress with a guarded expression. Waving, he disappeared from the demon host's sight and decided it was time to finally relax and be a kid. He just had to find where he stashed his toys…

* * *

"You're getting better at it," Tifa smiled, her arms folding across her chest as Vincent stood in the center of the room.

"Am I?" The tone was dry and sadistic. He turned to regard her, his eyes exposing the warmth he had. "This is all strangely new to me, and yet I feel as though I know what I am doing. It is very frustrating."

"Removing your cloak was a very good thing," Tifa assured, striding up to stand before him with a softened version of her smile. "It's like you are opening up to him, showing your true self. That's how I saw it Vince, when you did it to me," her eyes sparkled at the memories.

"Was it?" A conformation nod sent a shudder down his spine. "I am just hoping I am not sending anyone to their doom."

Tifa chuckled at him, her fingers reaching for the buckles decorating his chest. She played with one absentmindedly while listening to his breathing. Each intake gentle and in ease, even though she knew he was unsure of his role within her life. It annoyed her, how uncomfortable his mind became and yet his physical aspects refused to even show a glint of the nervousness he held.

"You're such a guy," she snickered, her eyes rolling for the ceiling but she managed to catch Vincent's eyebrow rise along the way. "You hold everything in except for the emotions you want to express. And not only that, but you're hard to read," Tifa explained.

"Well then," the corners of his lips rose for a brief moment, "I suppose I will have to show you my emotions in a clearer light." With his words, his face lowered until she could feel each exhale against her skin- her body trembling involuntarily. His smile intensified before his lips claimed hers in a feverish and lustful kiss. It nearly forced her backwards, until his claw wrapped securely around her waist to hold her flush against his chest- a rock solid wall that not once budged against her bodyweight.

A soft patter of giggles from somewhere outside their private bubble caused Tifa's eyes to open wide and she inhaled sharply while attempting to pull away from the lock Vincent had on her lips. His hand instinctively tangled with her hair, keeping her head to his. He refused to release her however, until he was thoroughly finished with what he had started- ending with a gentle nip at her lower lip just enough to let his sharpened canines scrape carefully along the flesh. Only then did he look over Tifa's shoulder to stare at the intruder.

"I still can't believe it," Shera muttered, her cheeks flushing at catching them 'in the act'. "Vincent, I thought you would never be the type that would settle down."

"I am as surprised as you are," he agreed, still keeping his hold on Tifa's waist till the point she couldn't even turn to see Shera.

"Well, I'm going to head up for a while. Tifa, I am staying in Cloud's old room if you don't mind. It was closer to the children," Shera explained and Tifa waved, growling at Vincent to allow her to turn for even the slightest moment. The gunman didn't budge.

"That's fine Shera. Vincent and I will figure out sleeping arrangements later," she said over her shoulder.

"I don't think it will be much of a problem," The pilot's wife muttered slyly. "At least no one will be sleeping on the floor this time around."

Leaving Tifa bright as the red cloak and Vincent with an evil smirk growing on his face, Shera walked up the flight of stairs. Now alone to ponder, Tifa lowered her head against his shoulder to listen to his steady heartbeat. Not even when her hands tightened into claws against his sides did his heart race like he always made hers. There was no jealousy though, for Tifa knew that, in her own ways, she could get to the gunman without even batting an eye. It was all about the way she played it… and the best was when she could catch him off guard.

"So, shall we figure out these sleeping arrangements?" His breath tickled her ear as she tilted her head to listen to him. "Or do we already have them settled?"

There was no point in words for she was sure her voice would betray her sense of calmness at the idea of Vincent with her. Lowering her head for his neck, she inhaled the familiar sent of gunpowder, though it clung mostly to his clothes- his skin seemed to take on a spicy odor. It was overpowering and she gingerly nipped at the flesh along his throat. Vincent held perfectly still as she did so, his breathing deepening into sighs. Pulling away, she stared at the kitchen. "Well, I suppose I should make dinner for everybody. Wouldn't want anyone to starve."

In an instant, she left him only to glance back with a sneer to witness what she had created. Vincent stood motionless, except for his eyes which remained transfixed on her with a hungry shine. She smiled sweetly as he glowered, but not from rage.

"You are a tease," he grumbled, shaking his head to break away.

"Are you going to call Cloud, or shall I? What the hell am I saying, you two would probably somehow manage to kill each other through the phone lines. I'll call; you make dinner unless," she measured him with her eyes, "you can't cook." She instantly regretted questioning his cooking abilities, wincing at the thought she would have to apologize for the train of thought that decided to spit out of her mouth.

"You call," Vincent agreed, pointing a finger at her in accusation. "I'll cook." Tifa didn't know which expression rested on her face, but Vincent looked at her quizzically. "Don't worry, we won't eat the children," he muttered.

"Yeah, that's because I'm more appetizing for the Vampire," she mocked, tilting her head to expose her neck. "I'm ready to become your victim!" She continued, her voice dipped in a fake fear.

Vincent's brow furrowed for a moment, either anger or discomfort too overpowering to make him think properly. In a flash his head jerked away to keep her out of his vision, his body shaking as if he was having his own earthquake. Even though he refused to look at her, his raven bangs obscuring most of his eyes, she could still see the dilating black which began to consume the bright crimson.

"Vincent?" she frowned, stepping forward to him. He quickly raised his claw, compelling her to stay at a distance.

"Don't," he murmured as his eyelids flickered closed. "Your offer was tempting for him."

So there she stood, waiting for him to calm down, with her mind processing all that was said. "Vincent," she whimpered. "I'm very sorry."

His bright irises focused on her, a shrug rolling on his shoulders. "I shall go prepare dinner," he finalized before disappearing behind the bar where the kitchen laid. Tifa stood motionless for a moment before fumbling for the phone on the counter.

Her fingers began to dial, seeming to work on autopilot with the buttons until she could feel a lean frame press up against hers. The side of his face rested near her ear and he inhaled. "I just want you to be safe," he mumbled, his lips writing the words on the skin of her jaw. "And he is easily excited recently. I shall try to be more careful."

Tifa nodded, her voice caught torn a whimper and a gasp but neither came. Again he disappeared and she redialed, the atmosphere between them changing so drastically that it left Tifa in a stunned silence. He had been so comfortable and then she had tempted the not-so-dormant creatures within his mind, leaving him distant and quiet.

The conversation with Cloud was quick, and Tifa knew she wasn't entirely in the words exchanged- her mind elsewhere. He was relieved to hear the children were safe and more than willing to give Tifa a night alone with Vincent, his words suggesting that he guessed something would be occurring later on tonight. She didn't even have the interest to blush. From him, all was silent on the home front except they had entered the old Midgar ruins, following the trial that had been left behind. Even then, Tifa grunted in fake curiosity before saying goodbye.

"That was quick," Vincent noted through the serving window, his glowing eyes suspiciously watching her. He had pulled his hair up into a swift ponytail, leaving a few bangs to hug around his features appealingly. Tifa was caught for a moment drooling at his good looks and a blush rose for her cheeks.

"Nothing new," she sighed and headed into the kitchen to watch him cook. Propping herself up onto a clean counter, she studied with a tinge of fascination as Vincent's quicker reflexes allowed him to be nearly perfect with everything- including the destruction of the veggies. Her dangling legs rocked as she studied his movements, a frown flirting across her features. "What is going on between Chaos and me?" She voiced.

Vincent made no sign he heard her except for the tilt of his head. "The bite," he stated lowly, his attention focused on the peppers he was currently slicing.

"I know, you said I was connected to you because of what Chaos did. But I still don't understand the details Vincent. I mean, I knew where you were- it burned when you needed me as though I had just received it. And it looks like it's been on my skin for years instead of a little under a month."

"Chaos is more complex than anyone gives him credit for," Vincent muttered, just loud enough for her to hear. "I only understand some of the things we share, most of it so difficult to decipher that I do not even know some of the details. What I do know is that you should be careful- if I summon him, he could come to you. I do not want you to get hurt."

"Is that way you were unwilling to do anything until you were on your deathbed? Thought that you could get out of it by dying after _kissing_ me?!" Tifa exclaimed, her eyes widening.

"Yes," Vincent nodded minutely. "Tifa, understand that Chaos means you no harm when he visits you- he is more…" His throat rolled as he swallowed. "He is more lustful then. The bite is to signify that you belong to him."

"I've been branded?!" The thought hurt, especially with the fact that Vincent knew from the beginning and yet never told her of the information.

He spun and planted a hand on either side of her. "Tifa! I never wanted to put you into this position! No matter how much I tried to disconnect myself from the feelings I had for you, I couldn't."

Clutching onto the sides of his face, she calmed his rant until he mumbled incoherently under his breath the finale of his words. Stroking his face in a way she had only dreamed of before, she studied him. "You don't need to worry about me Vince; I can take care of myself. And the idea that I am connected to you, able to know if you are alright or not, pleases me." He looked appalled and she covered his mouth with a hand. "So stop worrying about it, okay? I know enough for now and you're not a monster Vincent."

He nodded and moved away, back to making dinner. "You know," she continued, rocking forward playfully. "We should make Shera finish dinner." Vincent refused to turn around and grunted a reply.

Frowning, Tifa slid from the countertop and stormed up behind him, grabbing him by the shoulder and forcing his body to spin. He glared warily but she ignored it, taking his hand within hers and began to pull him away from the kitchen. Not once did he hesitate, letting her lead the way past Cloud's old room for her own at the end of the hallway.

"Shera! Can you please finish making dinner for us? I need to discuss something with Vincent," Tifa snarled purposefully and at the call of her name, Shera poked her head out of Cloud's room with a questioning glance.

"Course, is there something wrong?" She sounded worried and Tifa bit her lip to keep the anger on the outside.

"Yes," she ground out finally before pushing Vincent into her room and slamming the door behind her. Locking the door, she studied Vincent who regarded her warily.

"What did I do now Tifa?" He exhaled dejectedly, his fingers reaching up to pinch the ridge of his nose.

"Existed," Tifa snapped back, storming up to him to clutch his face and claim his lips. The surprise attack sent him stumbling backwards to find his footing to support his own weight along with hers except he didn't know that there wasn't enough footing for him. She had taken account in that and was pleased when he grunted as his knees buckled against the bed, forcing him to sit.

Disconnecting her lips from his, she listened to his quickened breathing. "Vincent?" She whispered, afraid to ruin what she had done to him with something as simple as a kiss. Her stomach churned as his dark eyes stared at her.

"Yes Tifa," he panted.

"I'm glad… you didn't disconnect from your feelings for me," her hand wandered to the zipper of his vest, playing with it. Without waiting for any reaction from his end, she pulled it down until the folds separated with the expected whine of grinding metal. Without pulling her eyes away from his gaze, her fingers ran along his torso. His skin was surprisingly warm and smooth even though the scars looked as though they would create horrid depressions along his flesh. Tifa slipped into a relaxed daze as her fingers traveled over every curve the muscles underneath his skin produced.

Vincent's breath hitched, his arms encircling her waist to draw her onto his lap allowing her to straddle him. "I'm glad too," he moaned before his lips frantically searched for hers.

The kiss was surprisingly soft even though the situation was diluted with lust. It was as though he was exploring her mouth for the first time, his tongue caressing hers with so much love that Tifa melted. It was over way before she wanted it to, but he didn't let his lips linger in the air for long. They carefully created a trail of kisses down her jaw to her throat where he nudged the bite mark with his nose.

"Tifa," he whimpered against her skin, "…my love for you is infinite." Tifa's hands against his sides tightened into claws, raking along his flesh and he replied to her demand, his thin lips smothering hers in an instant.


	27. Bodyguard For A Day

**A/N: "Sorry about the wait." Cloud**

* * *

The peace that had settled around her was comforting and the sigh which escaped past her lips was nothing short of happy. The cool metal draped cautiously over her waist by its owner twitched in response, a gentle gesture and yet it sent shivers swirling downward.

The body behind her groaned as it moved and she hesitated, not wanting to ruin the moment if she rolled over. Keeping her eyes closed, she buried her face into the soft pillow and inhaled… his scent was there as well.

Again, the bed shifted and his hot breath came near her ear- with his smooth chest caressing along her back during his attempt to lean over. "Go back to sleep," Vincent's baritone ordered soothingly, the claw sliding up her waist to brush a few strands of hair from tickling her cheek.

Tifa nodded, already too gone to use her voice, but nonetheless, she managed to smile as Vincent's soft lips pressed against her temple.

Then he was gone along with the warmth and support his body had provided so close to hers. Grumbling her annoyances, one eye flickered open to examine the doorway to her bathroom- now tightly barred.

"Vincent," Tifa whined. _Why do you do this to me? I was comfy._ Rolling to face the ceiling, her head lolled to the side to catch a glimpse of the world beyond her happy bubble. _Of course Vincent would rise before the sun met the ground._

Her thoughts on the previous night began to pour for the surface and a smile grew with it. Though Shera would probably scold them later for missing dinner- it was well worth it to run away with lust on occasion. Vincent had surprised her by complying to her desires as well with an equal amount of passion.

The door creaked open and she let her head loll to the other side, smirking at a dripping wet Vincent Valentine. Droplets of water continued to race down his skin and her eyes seemed to follow until he cleared his throat- a hand subtly adjusting the towel wrapped around his waist.

"You don't have to hide anything anymore Vincent, there's no point in letting the imagination do the work considering I've probably already seen every inch of you," she snickered as his eyebrow raised to the ceiling. Unlike she had hoped, his face remained set in stone as he rummaged through his belongs… since when had they gotten there?

Glancing back at her through the heavy strands of ebony hair he chuckled. Tifa's heart soared at the sound, a smile forming all over again. "You were sleeping when I left to pick up my things," he straightened before quickly adding, "I was gone but just a moment."

"Do I even want to know why we're up before the sun? I have a rule, the sun wakes you, you don't wake the sun," Tifa grumbled, groping for a pillow to cover her face.

"Yes, but the sun does not have so many duties to fulfill unlike me," Vincent corrected. Even though his voice was muffled because of the thick downy feathers, Tifa smiled into the cotton.

"And what duties to you have to do?" She mocked, uncaringly throwing the pillow for his head. Vincent ducked out of the way, his body gliding from the harm. With a fat plop, the pillow landed neatly along the wall behind him.

"For Denzel's sake," his tone grew more serious. "I must complete the tasks given and his teacher is proving to be problematic."

Covering herself up with the sheets, Tifa propped up onto one elbow with a frown. "Do you ever listen to yourself? Who in Jenova's name uses 'problematic' in their everyday vocabulary?"

Plucking his clothes out of the bags, he sauntered over to her with his normal smirk. Leaning in close, he hovered just out of reach much to her dismay. "I believe I just did." Tifa couldn't wait any longer, her head reeling at his close proximity, and finished the gap separating them in a rush. Vincent chuckled before she smothered the sound with her own lips. Snaking a hand to grasp at the wet clump of his hair, she massaged his scalp while he returned with much more vigor than any morning person should have. Gasping, she was sent backwards as he became more fierce, forcing her to lay back.

It ended way before she wanted it to and she moaned as he stepped from her side. "Go back to sleep Tifa," he gently probed, bundling up any unlucky clothes that had fallen out of his grasp during their lusty confrontation.

Tifa snorted, reaching underneath her to swat him with the final pillow before he managed to escape. He grunted as she hit his arm with a good thwack. "You expect me to sleep after something like that?" She demanded incredulously.

"No, but it doesn't hurt to try. I'll be back with Denzel after school," he promised, pecking her on the lips once more before disappearing into the bathroom. Tifa grinned when the door didn't close this round- letting her be blinded by the unnatural light with Vincent dead center.

Even though witnessing Vincent get dressed was something she refused to miss, a frown began to deepen the creases of her brow. "What are you planning Vince?" She asked softly.

Glancing up at her from the intense concentration of buttoning up a stunning black shirt, he stared at her through the reflection of the mirror. "I intend on doing my former job," he replied.

"Care to explain that situation?"

Sending his belt through the proper loops, he continued with the same monotone. "I will become Denzel's bodyguard to keep things in order during his classes. I want to verify that this woman doesn't do anything rash."

"I see."

Vincent's lips turned into a dry grin, "Besides, she has already met my second half; I do believe she is in need of another introduction."

Tifa chuckled, "Just don't stun her too much." The gunman looked at her with a furrowed brow. "I can't have too much competition out there, you know?" The dark frown lightened on his face and a gurgle erupted from his throat which could have an attempt to mask some laughter.

"There is no competition for my affections," he answered. Tifa smiled at his voice, the voice only used for her… she soaked it in. "For someone already has them," Vincent stared at her pointedly as he exited the bathroom- fully dressed in black slacks and matching shoes. He busied himself as his hair was quickly pulled back by the red bandana.

"Do you always look this handsome?" Tifa playfully complained as he finished his work. The glance sent her way made her giggle.

"You're beauty is astounding and yet you question my looks, Tifa- you do not fully comprehend what stares back at you when facing a mirror, for I see a goddess not worthy of any affections I bestow her… she is worth so much more." His barriers, which often times hid the pathway to his heart lowered and she smiled at the warmth radiating out of the gaze. Bowing for her, he placed butterfly kisses along her temple until they stopped at her mouth. "You are beautiful, and I am lucky to have someone like you by my side."

As he pulled away once again to leave, Tifa looked away to quell the blush rising for her cheeks. "So poetic today," she observed and he halted at the doorway.

"For your ears only," he shrugged before leaving. Her burgundy eyes disappeared as she rolled over- the smile forever remaining on her face.

* * *

Trotting down the stairs, Vincent froze at Shera sitting comfortably in one of the booths, her eyes meeting his before he could compose his surprise. Finishing the flight of steps, he ignored her gaze as the search for a frying pan began.

"You're up early," she mused, a cup of coffee coming up to meet her mouth with delicate poise.

Searching the cupboards, Vincent could only shrug though the muscles along his arms tensed at the feeling of being observed.

"I already made the kids' lunches, so you don't have to worry about that," she informed him sweetly. There could have been an underlying tone within those words, but Vincent shoved the feeling away.

The silence consumed them as Vincent toiled away, his hands beginning to work on auto-pilot unless his mind questioned where Tifa hid her eggs or why she put the spatula in that drawer. The sizzling eggs as they were plopped one by one into the pan startled him as his brain realized that sound did exist.

"You do love her, don't you?" Shera questioned. And so the lecture was beginning, Vincent sighed grimly. He couldn't send her one of his knowing glares, for she wasn't in the kitchen to receive one. Instead, his claw which had been handling the frying pan tightened its grip as the emotion of annoyance seeped into his skull.

"If I didn't, I wouldn't be doing what I am," He answered softly, just enough for her to hear his reply- the reply which wasn't needed.

"Just making sure, Tifa's handled quite a few men around the bar late at nights who are only interested in one thing," she said carefully. Her voice carried to him and Vincent hissed through his tight lips. _Too loud Shera, Tifa doesn't need to hear this._

"I don't need to answer what has already been answered," Vincent recited. The tone was clipped and conversation was ended. Identifiable footsteps clobbered down the stairway before Denzel managed to make it to the first floor without tripping on the laces of his sneakers.

"Morning Denzel," Shera greeted. Vincent ignored everything else, his mind already in a turmoil of thoughts. Though their soft voices carried gently through the kitchen, he couldn't extract any actual words except for some excited yes' in Denzel's part.

Finishing his breakfast chores, Vincent wandered into the bar with plates laden with food. Denzel stared at him in surprise yet stood motionless in front of Shera. Placing the plates on the bar countertop, Vincent again retreated to the sanctuary of the back.

To him, the sudden uncomfortable atmosphere was a burden he refused to place on his shoulders. Tifa had transformed him from the brooding man who constantly wished for the safety of his coffin to a man who was ready to live again. It was up to him to finish the transformation and Vincent was ready, but the others who constantly assumed his usual behavior stunned him. Why couldn't they see that they were changing? Why couldn't they understand that he was to change as well, instead of remaining the self-sacrificing gunman in search of a dead love?

_They expect me to be something stable. Something that will forever be the same in their own changing lives._ Vincent smirked sadly as his thoughts drove him farther from the reality surrounding him.

"Vincent?"

Marlene again tugged on the golden claw and Vincent gazed down at her with a questioning eyebrow. Her head lowered to the source of the problem, the tangled mess of her shoe laces spreading out like the roots of a hungry tree.

"I need help," she finished. The annoyance there surprised him as she glared wistfully at what was causing all the trouble.

"You'll learn soon enough," the gunman smirked, bending down to help her. As careful as he could manage without slicing her laces in half with the power of his claw, he spoke gently about what actions he was taking to accomplish their goal. Marlene watched on, and Bahamut himself could have shuddered at the intense gaze her sneakers were receiving.

When the bows were firmly in place, Marlene studied them for a moment longer. "I don't like shoes," she muttered. Taking her hand into the claw she admired so much, Vincent led her to where breakfast was waiting. Denzel had already begun eating with much more care than the gunman had thought possible for a growing boy to have. If he could recall, and even though it was difficult, he could see himself at that age shoving fistfuls of food into his mouth with an oversized appetite. Tifa had either taught them well, or something was troubling him. Vincent hoped it was the latter.

Gazing at the children, Vincent frowned. How exactly to put this without sending either of them into a crisis? "Denzel, I shall be escorting you around school this afternoon," he began, hesitating when the boy froze with the fork halfway to his mouth.

"Why?" The boy demanded, the fork finally on its way again.

"I am interested in who sent the inspector here yesterday and I intend on finding out." Vincent winced. It sounded more of a threat than the gentle tone he was hoping for.

"Oh," Denzel swallowed another bite, his cheeks reddening as he gazed at the empty plate. "What would you be doing?" Vincent's attire was finally noted by his curious eyes.

"Consider me as your bodyguard; I would be with you every step of the way. You must be tired with that teacher of yours, for I already am," Vincent rubbed his chin with a thumb.

"You'd be a bodyguard?" Denzel repeated. His face brightened, "You'd be all evil and dark and ready to shoot anything that moved and be all like, don't come near or you'll die?"

The involuntary chuckle that came from his throat startled him, but he masked his surprise. "Along those standards," he agreed. He studied Denzel for a moment while Marlene watched on with interest. "What are you thinking Denzel?"

"Have we become rich or something? Only rich people get bodyguards," Denzel's eyes flashed excitedly.

"No, I don't believe we have become rich, but if I suppose I cannot stop any imagination. You may do as you please- ignore me, or let me protect you as a professional bodyguard should," the smirk was foreboding on Vincent's face as he let Denzel think that one over.

"You mean with all that stuff I talked about earlier?" Denzel was more than fascinated in the idea and Vincent signaled that as a yes.

Shera came up behind the boy, silently scolding Vincent with a look alone. The lecture would have to come later. "You'll see," he promised and headed for the door with quick, efficient steps. Pulling his holster off the highest peg of the coat rack, he buckled it around his torso and glanced back at his audience. The weight of Cerberus was comforting on his hip as he adjusted his stance to accommodate the change. The symbol dangling from the gun's handle jingled on its chain as it mercilessly whacked him in the thigh with the movement.

"I'm ready when you are," he sighed. At the bar, Denzel exchanged a quick look with Marlene before there was a race to get to their backpacks. For the first time in so long, Vincent Valentine rumbled with laughter.

* * *

Denzel smiled, actually and truly smiled, not one of those fake ones he put on for show. Situated behind him, Vincent walked with a casual step and Denzel attempted to pace himself with the gunman.

"We will be meeting with your principle first of course to verify my right to be in the premises," Vincent informed from behind. Denzel slowed his pace as they turned onto another road, mentally keeping tabs on where Cerberus rested within the hard leather holster.

Vincent's left remained occupied as Marlene hummed a childish tune Denzel could recall from his earlier childhood. The repeating melody didn't affect his mood though as he grinned at the young girl swinging Vincent's claw back and forth.

"You aren't going to shoot anybody are you?" Denzel whispered softly, looking up to gaze at the piercing crimson eyes. Both pairs of eyes flickered to Cerberus, but unlike Denzel, Vincent's stare remained steady.

"Cerberus is only a threat, more of a prop than anything else at this time. I don't intend on injuring anyone, but if the need arises, I will reveal Cerberus to help keep peace."

"Are you going to talk like that all day?" Denzel pouted at Vincent's professional vocabulary. He had become used to the gunman's strange, yet wide range of word use, but the sudden authority outlook he had put on was beginning to bother him. This wasn't the man he loved as a father, this was his father figure off to work, something that he hated to see in his presence.

"This is how I normally talk," Vincent verified and even though Denzel had focused on the sidewalk before them he could feel Vincent's stare on the side of his face.

"No it's not," Denzel mumbled, looking far away from Vincent as possible.

"I see," came Vincent's grunted reply.

Through Marlene's constant singing, Denzel finally returned the stare he was receiving. Under the scrutiny, Denzel fumbled for the well placed words he had thought of just moments ago. "It's just that- well, Cloud used to do that all the time- always be so mean and bossy like he would be at work. He was like that at home too, even when Marlene and I wanted to play with him."

"Denzel, at home I may be different, but this is a job that I must take seriously. It is nothing like the Delivery Service. I am dealing with a life in danger, and I must protect it even if costs my own."

Biting his lip, the boy lowered his head in defeat. Vincent was right, but it was hard to accept it. "I…" He faltered, trying to make sense of what was in his head.

"Denzel, tell me." It was a command, an order and yet it remained something a friend would say. Denzel shifted closer to Vincent's side as they came closer to the school- the looming building approaching way too quickly for his taste.

"I'm scared that it will be like Cloud, ya know?" he said in a huff.

He was surprised when humor fringed Vincent's normal baritone. "I thought we already went through this, that I'm not Cloud. I do hope you remember that argument."

Denzel flushed, but the humor from Vincent spread to him and made him feel like he could climb a mountain, maybe fight Sephiroth. "I know, it still worries me though," he finished.

"Well," Vincent said and then Denzel couldn't breath- his sides becoming the victims of Vincent's strong fingers. Crying out, he curled over to protect himself, but it was a useless attempt. Above him, the gunslinger chuckled through the boy's cries of laughter. Marlene was cheering on the sidelines, for whom, Denzel wasn't quite sure.

Finally the torturous fingers retreated, allowing Denzel to grin sheepishly up at Vincent's towering form. The red eyed man raised an eyebrow with his amusement, the smirk still in place from their play. "I do believe I am not Cloud," he promised. Denzel couldn't help but smile as they began walking again, students beginning to crowd the area as they were dropped off.

Marlene tugged on Vincent's claw one last time, forcing the gunman to bend down to her level. "See you later Mr. Pointy-Shoes!" She crowed, pecking him on the cheek before disappearing for her grade door.

"I helped her pick that name, you know," Denzel noted as Vincent began leading the way for the offices.

"I figured as much," Vincent responded dryly. Denzel fought back a snigger at the frustrated tone.

Following Vincent was easy, especially when the sea of students preparing to head for their first class seemed to part for him. Either it was the gun attached to him, or just his dangerous aura, but almost everyone stopped to stare. Denzel blushed as he scurried to keep up to the long strides.

"Hello, how can I help you?" the old secretary asked, her frail fingers tapping the phone receiver as if she were expecting a call. She eyed Vincent up and down before scowling at Denzel behind his tall frame.

"Vincent Valentine, a newly acquired bodyguard for Denzel Strife. I am here to speak on business to an official of this school. I need to receive any paperwork or other nonsense before Denzel begins his day."

_Denzel Valentine,_ Denzel whispered inwardly, staring in shock at the gunslinger. The secretary paled for a moment, or was she just getting that old, before she pressed a few buttons on the phone. "Mark, there is a gentleman, a Mr. Valentine, out here to see you on important business." Looking up at Vincent, she smiled sweetly at him, "Go on in Mr. Valentine."

Nodding his thanks, Vincent stepped lightly into the office behind her desk. Again, Denzel was forced to nearly jog to keep up, but he was more interested in watching the show than paying attention to where he was going. With a grunt, he slammed into Vincent's back, who stared at him in warning before greeting the older man in the center of the room.

"How can I help you Mr. Valentine?" the principle greeted. Denzel scowled and plopped himself down into an all too familiar chair. How many times had he been sent to this place anyways?

"I have been hired by Tifa Lockhart to watch over Denzel today," Vincent repeated, his tone growing darker by the second.

"I wasn't informed by Tifa, do you have the paperwork to prove it? I will need to see some ID as well," Mark eyed him suspiciously, glancing at Denzel with a worried look.

Vincent reached down and pulled out a folded piece of paper from his back pocket, handing it over silently. Mark studied the contents briefly, his eyes scanning each page for the necessary words. "Oh," he muttered, staring in surprise at the small piece of plastic that was handed over next.

"You're the real Vincent Valentine? The one that helped Cloud Strife defeat Sephiroth and Jenova?" The awe was coating his words and Denzel felt sick. "And you're a Turk; I'm impressed Tifa managed to pay you. Turks are expensive."

The scowl sent Mark back a step as Vincent gestured to the ID. "We are justly paid considering the amount of work and training we have." He swiped the card from Mark's hands and returned it to the rightful pocket.

The principle sighed and filed the papers in a large cabinet, "Everything has been filled out- you are allowed to remain with Denzel."

"Thank you," Vincent said and carefully escorted Denzel out of the room with a swift wave of an arm. Once they were walking carefully down the empty hallways, Denzel frowned up at the gunman.

"Tifa told me that you were a retired Turk, and since when did she fill out all the papers?"

Vincent chuckled cruelly, "What people miss is the fine print along the side of the ID- mine expired years ago. I am allowed to get it renewed through a fellow friend, but I have yet to do so. As to the paperwork, forgery is one of my specialties within the Turk community. Now, it seems we are running late to class, which one is yours?"

Denzel pointed farther down the hallway and to his dismay, Vincent's pace quickened. "Does that mean that all of this is against the law?"

"Technically no, but they could sue if they wanted though I have no doubt that we will not give them the ability to do so."

"I don't get it, if you're expired and the papers are fake, won't we get in trouble?" Denzel sighed his irritation.

"Denzel, you have read the book. You should know by now that I am a trained assassin and protector, we will not get caught." Vincent's tone was soft and gentle, but the anger when he mentioned the book made Denzel's skin crawl.

"The book doesn't have everything because Hojo didn't know everything," Denzel snapped, bowing his head at the grimace contorting Vincent's face. Here they were in the middle of a school and Denzel was hurting Vincent by making him relive the memories. "Sorry," he murmured, catching a moment to give him a quick hug before moving on.

"I promise I will tell you one day, but for right now, we have to apologize for our tardiness."

Vincent was the one to open the door, and Mrs. Rita nearly bounced out of her chair as Denzel sulked through. She had yet to notice Vincent hiding in the shadows of the doorway and she frowned when Denzel slipped into his seat.

"Denzel, I told you about my feelings toward your lateness for my class," she began. Denzel flinched from her harsh words as they pummeled him.

Vincent slipped into the doorway, clearing his throat to save Denzel from the embarrassment of the class and the fury of his teacher. "My apologies Mrs. Rita, I was the one for his tardiness. I'm Vincent Valentine, a Turk who is serving Denzel Strife for this afternoon." Standing to his full height, Vincent seemed menacing as he shifted, allowing Cerberus' chain to flicker in the morning light through the windows.

If Denzel didn't know any better, he could have sworn that Mrs. Rita paled two colors. Hiding his smirk as Vincent came to lean against the wall near his desk, he mentally grinned at the shock on his fellow classmates' faces. _This is going to be a really cool day._

As if he finally noted that he was being watched, Vincent innocently waved a hand, "I am sorry, you may continue." Denzel coughed his laughter back, ignoring the curious stares. Only Vincent could turn teaching into a torture session for Mrs. Rita. _Today is going to be a really, really cool day._


	28. Forced

**A/N: Uh- hi everybody. Sorry it's nearly taken me four months to post this, but finally it's up. I apologize for my disappearance and this chapter is dedicated to all of my readers. Please enjoy and I would love to receive feedback.**

**J**

* * *

Mrs. Rita had given up her lecture- for it was one thing to have a gaggle of students staring at her intently, but to have a Turk glowering from the corner of the room was a completely different matter. Even the squeaks her heels made across the plastic tiling had their own microphone.

Rubbing her slick palms against hemline of her blouse once more, she motioned to the active screen behind her where math problems sat. With the teacher's manual situated on her desk, it was difficult to explain the problem without constantly staring at the pages. It was only with her dignity that she kept her voice from wavering.

"So the root of one hundred and forty four would be…?" Her eyes flickered over the familiar faces- with the tussled hair and bright eyes. None of the focus was directed at her, however, and instead at the Turk wedged in the front corner of the room. How he managed to even squeeze himself in such a tight space was beyond her… maybe it was a Turk thing.

Her lower lip slipped into her mouth as she quickly thought things over, expressing one of her famous annoyed sighs. All eyes turned to her and she fought back the rueful smile. None wanted to witness an annoyed teacher. Once again she regarded them, with much more intensity than she actually felt before focusing on the trouble.

"Denzel, can you enlighten the class? What is the answer to the square root of one hundred and forty four?" Mrs. Rita asked sweetly, sending him her glare as he studied the board. Out of the whole class, Denzel Strife was the only one susceptible to her glares. Rapping her finger against the screen where the projected numbers rested, she waited with a taping foot.

Denzel's brow furrowed as he stared, unblinking, at the problem as if the answer would slap him in the face. Scratching a cheek, he shrugged and leaned into his chair. "I don't know…"

"Denzel, we've been doing these problems for the past two days, what is the answer?" She shook her head, double checking the answer in her own head with the book splayed across un-graded homework sheets.

"…I don't know," The boy repeated, his voice strained as he tucked his face further downward to keep her out of his view.

Mrs. Rita's plump lips opened, her breath catching as the Turk pushed off the walls and stood on the opposite side of the screen. His bright blood eyes scanned the math before motioning it with the claw. "Look at it a different way," he began. The students leaned forward in their seats and Mrs. Rita shuffled disgracefully back to her desk. Without acknowledging that the old wooden chair was where it was, she sat down slowly- not once allowing her eyes to relocate away from the dashing man standing before her.

"They are dividing," Vincent continued, striding over to turn the overhead off before his fingers delicately picked up a stick of chalk. Scribbling along the blackboard, his smooth and curving penmanship overpowered the chicken scratch she had written beneath him earlier. "Think of two numbers, two of the same, that will produce the final product."

Vincent turned- his gaze roaming the class… and waited. His face remained set in stone except for the occasional blink or two before hands began to rise. Some conversed the answer with each other quietly - their lips moving so fast, yet they all seemed to understand what the other was saying.

Mrs. Rita twitched as the whole class raised their hands, each one outstretched to the fullest height until their bellies were scraping against the edges of the desks. She glanced over at the Turk, smirking that he wouldn't know the names of the students and therefore, embarrass himself.

Instead, he shifted his weight and motioned to the problem. Almost in unison, the class shouted their answer with hands disappearing back into laps.

"…Twelve."

Vincent chuckled and nodded, his bangs tickling along his cheeks as he tilted his head to her. "Do you have any more problems for them?" His soft baritone questioned- the glint remaining in his eye.

* * *

"That was _so_ cool!" Denzel hooted as he nearly skipped down the hallway. Behind him, the short laugh he loved so dearly appeared. "You just went up there and talked about the toughest math!"

"Denzel," Vincent scolded lightly. "The cafeteria is this way."

Oh. Right. Sidling up to the tall man, Denzel clung to the sleeve bunched above the plates of Vincent's claw- fingering the material. To his disappointment, the gunman pulled his hand away. With an exasperated sigh, he wandered after Vincent to the cafeteria crammed with ravenous children for food likely created in a chemical plant.

Searching for an empty table amongst the mess, Denzel swallowed as the conversations in both the never-ending lunch tables and lunch lines ceased. It felt so strange- being on the receiving end of what was given to Vincent every day. Every day because he was a hero. Every day because he was what he was- resembling one of Satan's goons. Suddenly having Vincent around didn't even resemble a good idea- why couldn't one day of his life even have a little normalcy?

First Cloud, the man he looked up to, and the others stopped the Geostigma and those three brothers. They had saved the world once; why not perform the trick again? Then, Vincent entered Tifa's life, turning everything upside down and inside out. But Vincent saved him- saved him from himself and from his misery. Now, he could feel himself tearing apart, all because he wanted a family and he felt as though he wasn't allowed.

"They're restless," Vincent murmured, his shoes whispering across the tiles as he shifted. "My presence here is frightening them."

"Then do something that'll make them relaxed," Denzel hissed, his eyes widening as his friends stared at him blankly. They didn't even welcome him over- detaching themselves from the strange boy with a strange life.

"I am," Vincent paused, "not very excelled with these sorts of situations."

Denzel slowly glanced in the gunslinger's general direction. His Vincent Valentine unable to complete a task? Impossible. Vincent was capable of anything, even transform into Chaos. The man could leap and bound as if there was no such thing as gravity and he could probably hear the smallest scuffle of a shoe. Vincent Valentine, the one he knew, would be able to calm a crowd of students with even the slightest gesture.

But what happened to that man?

"Yes you are, you're good at everything," Denzel whined. "I mean, you helped Cloud!"

Vincent's eyes lowered to the floor, impassive as usual. "Come, there are a few things we should discuss."

Clutching his lunch bag until his knuckles were white, he trudged after Vincent's fast pace. As soon as the lunchroom doors closed, conversations bubbled behind them, life for them at least had returned to normalcy. A swell of jealousy purged Denzel's heart as he pouted after Vincent.

To his surprise, Denzel found himself still in awe with the gunman. Vincent had not once stepped into the school before today, except as Chaos that one time, and yet he was handling its size as if it were a shoebox. No matter how much he battled with it, he couldn't escape the fact that the gunman had him wrapped around one of those golden fingers.

It was Vincent who reached the door first- one of the many exits of the school. His gold claw captured the door handle and Denzel continued walking- ducking underneath Vincent's elbow. The clouds splashed across the sun didn't help his mood any and he hesitantly snuck a look behind him to see Vincent settling upon the cement. With one leg stretched before him and the other bent at the knee, he resembled nothing like the dangerous bodyguard he was supposed to be. In truth, he seemed almost relaxed, basking in the peeking sun with his pale face tilted upwards.

"I am an experiment," Vincent said simply, his eyes remaining closed. "I know I was once human, though many of the memories have faded- but now, I am… different I suppose. I understand you have questions for my side of the story, though I've been avoiding it. Too worried of my past to consider you. I think now I am ready, so- whatever the case may be- you may ask."

Vincent had been afraid and avoiding him because of it? This certainly wasn't the cryptic gunman he used to know. Denzel's throat ran dry as he squatted near the gunslinger, sighing that the man barely acknowledged his movement. Vincent Valentine was preparing to detach himself from all emotions for the conversation. Vincent was hurting, even if he was ready for questions.

"Please don't," Denzel murmured, picking up loose pebbles from the asphalt.

Crimson flickered wide as Vincent stared at him in surprise, his lips parted for an inhale as he was jarred from his emotional detachment. Shifting his weight onto one spread palm behind him, Vincent regarded the boy. "You… don't have questions then?"

Denzel's fists clenched. "What happened to you? I don't remember you being so… dead! It's like your forcing yourself to change, but for who?! You're not only hurting yourself but everyone around you… including me. You shouldn't force anything. You can talk to me, you know? Even if it's about something weird like Cloud's motorcycle, but I don't want you to feel like you need to do anything." His voice dropped into a whisper, his gaze flickering out to the younger kids playing on the swings a few yards out. They didn't notice the two of them sitting there, wedged between three parts of the school building almost like a protective box.

"Denzel, I avoid speaking to you because of what I am. I do not want you to become this way," Vincent muttered, studying him intently.

"That's not what I'm talking about!" Denzel snapped. "It's what you're doing to yourself. Don't you look in the mirror? You scare me now, not before. Not when you were yourself in front of others instead of making yourself something your not. I loved you when you were you."

Vincent stiffened beside him, leaning forward to get into the boy's line of sight. "…What?" He demanded, his eyes softening.

Blushing, Denzel smiled weakly. This wasn't how he wanted to announce it, but he had no choice now. There was no turning back. "I've- I want… you to be my dad…"

"Denzel," Vincent pinched the bridge of his nose. "I don't think that choice is wise. I am not safe to be around, do you not understand?"

"And why not? Are you not allowed to have a family?!" Denzel cried, giving Vincent a push on the shoulder. "You used to be so different, you used to be yourself, no matter how quiet and evil you looked! Now, I don't understand you at all!"

Holding back the tears of rejection pooling in his eyes, he lunged forward and made a dash for the other side of the school. Vincent was faster and easily intercepted him in an awkward embrace, with the boy's back against his chest. The gunman bent around him, encasing him while holding his wrists to keep him still.

"Denzel, please understand that this is all very new to me," he said quietly, his hair pooling around them. "I wish for a family, and I wish for a life, but I am…" he sighed. "Afraid."

With hesitation, Vincent's grasp on him lightened until they were standing side by side. Denzel reached for the claw, his outstretched hand so small compared to the gold metal. The talons twitched before slowly intertwining with his small fingers. "Tifa says time tells everything," Denzel stated, grinning at Vincent's silence. "She also says good things come to those who wait." He looked up through thick lashes. "I want to wait. I want a dad, and I want him to be you. But not a fake you. I want _you_." He gave the claw a gentle tug.

"It will be a while Denzel. I am just beginning to find a grasp on the meaning of my life," Vincent admitted, his face twisted in pain. "And I am still not fully pleased on this decision of yours."

"Tifa's willing to wait for you too," Denzel said cheerfully, slowly pulling Vincent to the ground again. The gunman accepted the invitation readily, once again situating himself into his former position, though the claw not once left Denzel's grasp.

Something clicked, something wonderful and fragile, but Denzel loved it. The gunman was there, and being himself again like it should have been the whole time. There was nothing forced, no hint of distress radiating off Vincent except for the usual brooding nature. Everything was at peace- or at least, Denzel liked to imagine that it was for just a little while.

"I thank you," Vincent's voice was deep again, the normal tone of Vincent Valentine instead of the strained whispers of someone else he had attempted to create. Denzel hadn't even noticed until now how changed Vincent had become. "For this," he motioned to the claw. "You are quite clever for a boy your age."

Denzel grinned. "I try."

"But you haven't done what we came out here to do," Vincent noted, his lips quirking upwards slightly- not a smile but it was progress.

Asking questions. Denzel studied their hands- okay fine, hand and claw. Was he willing to give up that for a few questions, was he prepared to force Vincent back a step into the complete empty man of before? Vincent was changing to be sociable, slowly enough, but that didn't mean Denzel wanted him to remove that progress over a conversation.

"When you're ready, I will be too," Denzel nodded, his voice steady compared to his twirling insides.

Vincent leaned back; staring at the clouds so intently Denzel wondered what he saw there. "You've made me," Vincent said darkly. "I was trying Denzel, trying to be what I assumed was a good role model for both you and Marlene. I understand what Cloud left behind was shattered and I was focusing too hard to pick up the pieces as him to see what it was truly doing."

Denzel felt his jaw drop, though he tried to hide it. "You were trying to be Cloud? For all of us?"

"Yes."

Ah, the wonders of Vincent's one worded answers. It was music to Denzel's ears.

"I thought we said you weren't Cloud? Stop it," Denzel poked him in the side, and Vincent moved away from the contact. Good, still Vincent Valentine progressing into a sociable character.

"Vincent?" The gunman grunted in response. "What is it like to have Chaos?" The nervousness overwhelmed him, and Denzel tightened his grip on the claw. The last thing he needed was Vincent's retreat. If Vincent wasn't ready, then he wasn't ready. No forcing, that would be a rule from now on.

"Chaos is, difficult. Out of the many entities, he is the most powerful with complicated emotions. He has the ability to desire, wish, hate… and even love if he so chose."

"Oh," Denzel whispered, contemplating on this new information. Together they sat in the silence, musing over each other's words carefully. He wouldn't ask another question for now.

"Vincent?"

"Denzel," the gunman greeted.

"We need to go back to class now."

"Of course."

* * *

Tifa stared into the soapy water, studying the designs within the bubbles until she swore there was a dancing chocobo. Shera was leaning over the counter, watching as well. The bartender was supposed to be washing the dishes, but so far- all she could think about was Vincent.

"What exactly happened last night?" Shera questioned, sitting on one of the many bar stools.

Tifa's eyes flickered up to the pilot's wife. Shera raised her hands innocently while giving a slight smile. "I know _what_ occurred last night, but something is bothering you. What is it?"

The bartender chewed on her lip, debating over the dilemma. It was too early to tell, that was for certain- but would it be helpful to have another woman's opinion. She certainly didn't want to express this information to Yuffie- for the young ninja would most likely do something rash. So Shera was the logical person, but would it be worth it? Shera may have been only a few years older, but to Tifa- she reminded her of a mother to all of them. It was just in the pilot wife's nature.

She had wanted this, for so long. But it frightened her that it could actually occur. There was no promise with Vincent, but the anxiety that the continuation of thoughts brought forth only sent her into swirling emotions. Of course there was fear, but there was something else as well- something warm and gentle. No one beside herself would be able to understand it.

"Shera," Tifa began, picking up a dirty glass for cleaning- if only to keep her hands busy. "Can you promise me to keep this between you and me?"

Cid's wife nodded slowly, her eyebrows raised for the hairline. "Of course hon, just tell me what's going on."

"I think Vincent believes he can't have kids because of Hojo," she whispered, occasionally glancing up to read Shera's expression. So far, it remained blank. "And I guess I wanted to prove to him that he could."

Shera's eyes widened. "Tifa, please tell me you are either on the pill or you used something else last night."

Tifa trembled, but a smile was beginning to form anyways. "I want to have my own child Shera, and I want Vincent to be the father."

"And Vincent doesn't know? Tifa, you can't decide his life like this. What if he isn't ready?"

"Then I will handle the child myself. There's not even a guarantee that there will be a baby," Tifa whispered, and she choked away a sob. "I just made it possible last night, though Vincent thought that we were safe."

Shera's hand clasped onto Tifa's forearm. "I am happy for you Tifa, if it works out the way you want it to. It would be wonderful to have a mix of you and Vincent running about here. It is hard though… to see Vincent as a father."

"I know," Tifa admitted. The bite mark beneath her clothes throbbed and she winced inwardly.


End file.
